Contract matters have been a most pertinent issue for Liverpool fans over the past few weeks and months, and there could soon be some white smoke in that regard.
According to Paul Joyce for The Times, Anfield chiefs are closing on an agreement with one Reds player regading an improvement to their current deal at the club.
The report claims that Jarell Quansah is edging closer to agreeing on a new long-term contract at LFC, even though he has nearly three years remaining on his existing terms.
The 21-year-old is set to receive an upgrade to his current deal to reflect the progress that he’s made within the first team, and in an acknowledgement of Newcastle’s interest in him during the summer.
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Liverpool’s desire to tie down the youngster to improved terms is also reflective of a desire within the club to prevent a repeat of the scenario which has seen Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk all enter the final nine months of their respective contracts, thus leading to much uncertainty over their futures.
Although Quansah was hooked at half-time by Arne Slot on the opening weekend of the Premier League season and has only started one match (in a much-changed Carabao Cup line-up) since then, Liverpool’s willingness to offer him an improved contract is a reflection of their determination to keep him.
The 21-year-old is first in line to come into the starting XI if either Van Dijk or Ibrahima Konate were to become unavailable, and despite being overlooked in recent weeks, it mustn’t be forgotten how rapidly he’s progressed since making his senior Reds debut little more than a year ago.
His inclusion in the provisional England squad for Euro 2024 is a glowing reflection on how excellent he performed in his debut top-flight campaign, and Jurgen Klopp – the man who blooded him into LFC’s first team – said that he ‘liked him from the moment he first saw him’ as a teenager on Merseyside (BBC Sport).
Quansah may be having to bide his time to get back into Slot’s preferred starting XI, but the head coach is sure to lean on the defender as the season progresses and Liverpool negotiate frantic fixture periods such as the one which sees them play seven matches in 21 days after the current international break.
Speaking of which, he’s likely to get some welcome game-time with the England under-21s during their European qualifiers over the next few days, which he’ll view as an opportunity to give his club boss some food for thought and strengthen his case to get the prospective new contract over the line.
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