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Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso is keen on signing Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah, according to reports in the German media.
SportBild (via Sport Witness) claims that Alonso is leading the club’s pursuit of the England international.
However, supporters on X are not convinced that Quansah would be an upgrade on the club’s current options in the middle of defence:
Absolutely not. He’s worse then Fofana
— Nah son (@Nahson75902105) September 30, 2026
He’s literally a worse version of Josh, makes no sense
— CFCRad (@CFC_Rad) September 30, 2026
He is not good on the ball. he makes a lot of mistakes when pressed.
— The Phoenix (@ThePhoenix_CFC) September 30, 2026
Quansah is not good at all. Injuries is his weakness. If we are gonna sign a defender, we should sign Bastoni-sh kind of a player.
— Blue Fracas (@RealFracas) September 30, 2026
Terrible footballer
— Mr Harvey (@TheTravelTinker) September 30, 2026
There is a reason Liverpool sold him and didn’t use the buy back either! Only Tuchel rates this guy lol
— Kush (@CFCKush) September 30, 2026
Chelsea will face competition for the player
SportBild claim that Arsenal could potentially revive their interest in Quansah, having reportedly had a €65m (£55.6m) bid rejected for the centre-back during the summer transfer window.
The 23-year-old’s former club, Liverpool, could also pose a threat if they decide to trigger a buyback clause, which will be reactivated next year and expires on June 15th.
Real Madrid have started to keep tabs on Quansah as well, having been impressed with his performances for club and country.
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What would Quansah’s arrival mean for Acheampong?
The Leverkusen star is a right-footed centre-half who can play at right-back if needed. His profile is extremely similar to Josh Acheampong, who is just a few years younger than him.
Alonso’s interest in signing Quansah is somewhat surprising, considering he has selected Acheampong more than previous Chelsea managers.
The 20-year-old has already played 401 minutes in all competitions this season. That is almost a third of the total he managed during the entire 2025/26 campaign, and we are only 7 games in.
It’s probably wise to take this rumour about Quansah with a large pinch of salt. The Blues are likely to be in the market for a new centre-back, following their defensive issues at the start of Alonso’s reign, but you would think they would go for a more experienced/proven player, rather than someone who would threaten Acheampong’s position in the squad.
