It looks like Mikel Arteta has set his sights on Jarell Quansah, with Arsenal currently in discussions with Bayer Leverkusen over a potential transfer.
Leaving Liverpool last summer was a brave call for the 21-year-old defender, yet Quansah settled in well to life in the Budesliga.
He made 44 appearances across all competitions in his debut season with Leverkusen, even marking his league debut with a goal and a classy tribute to Diogo Jota.
His consistent performances last season earned him a spot in the England squad, where he featured three times during his maiden World Cup campaign, before being cruelly suspended after a red card incident.
Leverkusen are understandably reluctant to part ways with their prized asset. They have been delighted with his maturity and adaptation, and with four years remaining on his contract, they hold all the cards.
Arsenal will find this a difficult deal to pull off cheaply. Leverkusen paid around £30m for him last July, and any successful bid would need to be significantly higher to convince them to sell so early in his tenure.
From a Liverpool standpoint, there is no need to panic about him joining a title rival just yet. The club made sure to protect themselves by inserting a £59.8m (€70m) buy-back clause into the original agreement.
If Arsenal do push the boat out with a massive bid, Leverkusen stand to make a huge profit, and Liverpool will have a clear, pre-agreed path to bring him back to Anfield should they choose to trigger it.
