Jarell Quansah proves why Liverpool exit was a mistake after recent performance - opinion

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Rousing the Kop or go back to LFC Live.

Jarell Quansah was a great young centre-back when he played for Liverpool last season.The star had been given opportunities by Arne Slot when he needed to rotate his side, and while on some occasions he made some poor individual mistakes, overall, he showed his quality when given the chance.It was a shame to see Quansah leave Anfield in the summer to join Bayer Leverkusen for £35 million, but it was a good deal at the time for a side that looked like they did not need him on the bench.Join our newsletter for news & smart analysis. What was positive about the deal, however, was the fact that within it, they had a buyback clause of around £52 million for him to return in 2027 if he wants to come back to Liverpool once his Leverkusen contract ends.This clearly showed how much the club values him as a player, and the 22-year-old would definitely be welcomed back into the squad with open arms, especially with how he has been playing for the German side.Photo by ANP via Getty ImagesJarell Quansah should have stayed and his SC Freiburg performance proves itSince returning to action for the side, Quansah put on a brilliant display at the back against SC Freiburg in Leverkusen’s 2-0 victory over their rivals.During the game, he made four clearances, two tackles, was fouled twice, and won the majority of both his aerial and ground duels before being substituted off for Jeanuel Belocian.READ MORE: Liverpool have already agreed a contract with £52m centre-back and it’s not Marc GuehiWith a performance like that, it should have fans back at Liverpool slightly frustrated, given that he was sold in the summer with the defensive problems that have occurred all this season.At the time, there was no cause for concern with the potential that Marc Guehi was going to be joining the club, and it looked like the correct move for both parties.However, now with the benefit of hindsight, it seems that he should have been kept on despite the Guehi interest.They could have even kept him up until deadline day in case, which it did, the deal for Guehi fell through.It is not to say that keeping him would have automatically fixed all the issues, but rather that having him as a reliable option on the bench to rotate with Ibrahima Konate would have helped ease the defence.Liverpool made a slight error on this one, but if he continues to be as good as he has been, buying him back in 2027 could be a fantastic option.Arne Slot needs to start exploring some academy options for defensive coverGiven that Quansah came through the academy, it may be a good idea to explore some options there for extra cover.While Wataru Endo and Joe Gomez are solid options off the bench for the defence, both come with their problems, with the Japanese international more of a midfielder and the Englishman very injury-prone.Utilising the players who are coming through the ranks just to ease the pressure on some of the regular first-team players could be key to adding some stability to the backline.