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Jarell Quansah was hoping to pick up where he left off when selected to start alongside Virgil van Dijk for Liverpool’s opening game of last season against Ipswich Town.

He had finished the previous campaign as first-choice under Jurgen Klopp and impressed in pre-season under Arne Slot.

Yet he was a desolate figure on the Portman Road bench for the second half as the Reds ran out 2-0 winners, with Slot later calling him out when explaining his decision, admitting he thought he had lost too many duels up against Liam Delap.

Quansah would later call his withdrawal ‘a kick up the backside’, but it took him time to regain form and confidence following the setback as Ibrahima Konate instead nailed down a starting berth.

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It did not help that he scored an own goal on his next appearance against West Ham United in the League Cup over a month later, before coughing up one goal to Simon Adringa and then deflecting Tariq Lamptey’s strike past Vitezslav Jaros as the Reds endured a nervy finish to their 3-2 victory over Brighton in the fourth round in late October.

Quansah had actually signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool at the start of the month, in between such fixtures, despite his rocky start under Slot.

Little did he know at the time that he would likely be moving on less than a year later as the defender closes in on a £35m move to Bayer Leverkusen.

In truth, it is not that surprising that Liverpool are open to cashing after a difficult season for the defender.

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Come mid-November, he had fallen behind Joe Gomez in the pecking order, but did at least recover as defensive injuries elsewhere opened the door to him - even if that did mean lining up out of position at right-back.

A second Premier League start of the season eventually followed on a difficult day away at Newcastle United in early December as Liverpool drew 3-3.

But it was telling that he started at full-back with Joe Gomez central that day, likewise the fact that he had to wait until after the Premier League title was won for a second top-flight start of the campaign in his favoured position.

When Gomez was struck down by a hamstring injury at the end of the month, Konate was instead rushed back from injury.

It was dreadful luck.

Turned to from the start in much-changed sides, defeats to the likes of PSV Eindhoven and Plymouth Argyle did little to help any of the selected players’ causes.

Likewise, when Quansah came on at half-time for an injured Konate against Wolves at Anfield in mid-February, his arrival coincided with a dreadful drop-off in performance from the Reds as he stumbled to a 2-1 win despite being in control at the break.

The 22-year-old was unfortunate not to be the hero against PSG the following month, only to strike the woodwork at Anfield as Liverpool exited the Champions League prematurely on penalties at the round-of-16 stage.

With both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Conor Bradley now both injured, he started the League Cup final at Wembley against Newcastle United - but it proved to be another dismal day for the Reds.

Following the international break, it was again telling that Curtis Jones was then selected at right-back until Bradley was fit enough to return.

And when Quansah was introduced in place of the Northern Irishman against West Ham United, it did not go unnoticed that Aaron Wan-Bissaka got in behind him for the Hammers’ late equaliser - an Andy Robertson own goal - before Van Dijk’s later winner.

The 22-year-old was at least given further start opportunities at centre-back away at Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion after the title was won, but Liverpool would disappoint as they suffered defeat on both occasions.

As a result, Quansah could be forgiven for feeling mixed emotions once the season came to an end.

Earmarked as a replacement for Jonathan Tah at Leverkusen by Erik ten Hag, it is a great opportunity for the defender to start week after week for a Champions League club - especially after a season that struggled to recover after a shaky start.

Quansah will still depart as a Premier League winner and with the best wishes of everyone at Anfield after 58 appearances over the past two seasons.

The timing was seemingly never right for him last season, and it's the same again now with Van Dijk still under contract and Konate still in place alongside him.
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