Former Liverpool centre-back Jarell Quansah
The finer details in Jarell Quansah’s confirmed transfer to Bayer Leverkusen have emerged, though arguably Liverpool’s most in-demand star is staying.
It’s been a whirlwind summer for the 22-year-old centre-half who just a few days ago, helped England win the European Under-21 Championship.
Once that tournament concluded, Quansah was freed up to finalise his transfer to Leverkusen and both they and Liverpool officially announced the deal had crossed the line on Wednesday.
Liverpool will receive a fee of £30m plus £5m in add-ons. The Reds have also retained long-term control of the player by successfully inserting a buy-back clause.
The clause – which cannot be activated until the summer of 2027 at the earliest – is worth €60m / £52m and can rise as high as €70m / £60.5m through add-ons.
Quansah will wear the number four shirt at Leverkusen which was vacated by Jonathan Tah following his switch to Bayern Munich.
As a homegrown player, the proceeds from Quansah’s sale will be logged as ‘pure profit’ on Liverpool’s books.
Those types of sales are extra lucrative for clubs and greatly enhance a side’s spending power.
Liverpool hope Marc Guehi will take Quansah’s spot in their squad, while a new starting striker is also wanted despite the Reds’ spending surging past £200m this window.
Most in-demand Liverpool star STAYS
One Liverpool player who won’t be following Quansah out of Anfield is Luis Diaz.
News broke on Wednesday morning of Liverpool firmly rejecting Bayern Munich’s approach for the Colombian. Barcelona made an approach of their own in June and received equally short shrift.
Diaz was a wanted man over at Manchester City last summer, while journalist Ben Jacobs has confirmed the winger is the No 1 transfer target at Saudi powerhouse Al Nassr.
Clearly, Diaz does not lack for high profile suitors, though Liverpool have made it crystal clear he is not for sale.
That is despite the fact the Reds at this moment in time do not have plans to offer Diaz a new contract. His existing deal expires two years from now, at which point Diaz will be aged 30.
A fresh update from The Telegraph’s Chris Bascombe has shed new light on Liverpool’s situation with Diaz, including dispelling the myth he’s still earning the salary he agreed upon joining from FC Porto three-and-a-half years ago.
Bascombe noted the primary reason why clubs keep knocking on Liverpool’s door for Diaz – aside from him being a high quality footballer, of course – is his salary.
Diaz agreed personal terms worth just £55,000-a-week when arriving in 2022. That is a modest pay packet for a highly effective player at the Premier League champions.
Interested clubs keep sensing an opportunity to turn Diaz’s head and offer the winger much more than he’s earning. However, Bascombe stated that as yet, Diaz has displayed no dissatisfaction with how he’s being treated by Liverpool.
Furthermore, Bascombe then revealed that Diaz’s salary HAS increased during his time at Anfield, though by how much wasn’t made clear.
The Telegraph reporter stated: “Liverpool indicated at one point after their title win that they are “baffled” by the idea they would sell Diaz. They are not confused as to why the links keep materialising, though.
“Liverpool signed Diaz on a five-and-a-half year deal in January 2022. Since then, his performances have elevated and there have been triggers which increased his salary.
“But in the meantime, others have renewed their terms – some such as Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk earning £20 million a year – and Diaz could be forgiven for feeling that given his valuation is at least double the £37 million Liverpool paid Porto, logically his salary should be more reflective of his stellar contribution.
“The issue for him and his representatives is it was they who committed to such a long contract three-and-a-half years ago. Clearly, that looks like an even better deal for Liverpool right now.
“Diaz will be 30 when his Liverpool contract runs out in 2027. History informs us how studious Liverpool are when it comes to renewing deals for players in their late 20s or early 30s, even some of the greatest of all time. It explains why – as things stand – there has been no rush to negotiate another contract.
“Liverpool obviously run the risk of losing Diaz for free in two years, but that feels a long way ahead and even if it comes to that, they would have enjoyed his prime years for a bargain fee.
“Alternatively, those who would pay Diaz more to play for them now would also need to calculate how much he would cost for Liverpool to change their stance.
“Everyone has their price, but Diaz’s would be up there among the most expensive in the world this summer, which is why few believe he will be going anywhere before the start of next season. Even if a club bid £80 million, Liverpool would have to find a replacement and they do not want that on their agenda.
“So while many suggest Liverpool face a “dilemma” with Diaz, they really do not in the absence of any meaningful offers.”