Arsenal Pursue Jarell Quansah to Strengthen Defense

Arsenal have opened talks with Bayer Leverkusen over a deal for England defender Jarell Quansah, as Mikel Arteta moves to reinforce a back line already stretched before a ball has been kicked.

Arteta wants cover and competition across his defence and views Quansah as a rare two-for-one solution. The 23-year-old can operate at centre-back and at right-back, a profile that fits neatly with Arsenal’s growing need for flexibility in the back four.

Quansah is back at Leverkusen after an extended post‑World Cup break, having broken into the England squad and made three appearances at his first major tournament. That came on the back of a standout debut season in Germany: 44 games in all competitions after leaving boyhood club Liverpool last summer in a £30m move.

Leverkusen’s stance is clear. They do not want to sell. Internally, the club have been impressed not only by Quansah’s level in the Bundesliga, but by how quickly he has adapted to a new country and dressing room. With four years left on his contract, they hold the leverage – and any deal would almost certainly require Arsenal to go well beyond the fee the German champions paid 12 months ago.

Arsenal’s defensive puzzle

The pursuit of Quansah drops into a defence already full of questions.

William Saliba is out injured, leaving a gap in the heart of the back line. Right-back is another sore spot. Jurrien Timber is still working his way back from the groin problem that has limited him since March, and Ben White’s fitness record offers little guarantee across a full campaign.

The strain showed on the biggest stage. In the Champions League final defeat in Budapest, Cristhian Mosquera was forced to start out of position at right-back and conceded a penalty. That night underlined just how thin Arsenal are when one or two first-choice defenders are missing.

It is why Ezri Konsa has also been on the radar. But Aston Villa’s valuation of the 28-year-old is high, and for Arsenal, long-term value matters. At 23, Quansah offers a younger alternative who can cover both positions and grow with the squad.

A centre-back by trade, he spent much of last season on the right of a back three for Leverkusen. That role was enough to convince Thomas Tuchel to take him to the World Cup as one of England’s right-back options – ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold. On the ball, his pass maps from Leverkusen show him frequently stepping into areas usually occupied by a traditional right-back.

That versatility would give Arteta options. When Saliba returns to partner Gabriel at centre-back, Quansah could still push for minutes on the right, either in a back four or as part of a three.

Fitting into Arteta’s system

The full-back role at Arsenal is not a conventional one. Timber and Riccardo Calafiori are asked to drift inside, join midfield, and at times even pop up in central attacking zones, acting as hybrid centre-forwards in possession.

Quansah is a different type of defender – more orthodox, more conservative in his starting profile – but that does not rule him out. Arteta has already shown with another former Leverkusen player, Piero Hincapie, that he is willing to use more defensive full-backs in specific game plans.

The question is price, not fit.

Busy start on the horizon

Arsenal’s opening schedule only sharpens the need to sort their defensive depth quickly.

They face Manchester City in the Community Shield in Cardiff on August 16. Five days later, they open their Premier League campaign at home to Coventry on August 21. Then comes a trip to Aston Villa on August 31, followed by Chelsea at the Emirates on September 6 and Sunderland away on September 12.

It is a demanding run for a squad already managing injuries at the back. If Arsenal are serious about Quansah, they may have to decide soon how far they are willing to go to break Leverkusen’s resistance – and whether this is the defender they want to build around for the next decade.