English defender Jarell Quansah has opened up about his decision to leave Liverpool and join Bayer Leverkusen.
Under Arne Slot’s management, Quansah gradually became a fringe player at Liverpool. Around three months ago, the young English centre-back decided to make the switch to Leverkusen, saying he wanted more opportunities to play regularly.
Having come through Liverpool’s academy, Quansah made 58 appearances for the senior team. However, last season he started only four Premier League matches. That same season, Dutch manager Arne Slot took charge at Anfield, and in his first competitive match, Quansah was taken off at halftime “for tactical reasons.”
After that, he didn’t start another league match until December. In July, the 22-year-old signed a five-year contract with Leverkusen worth £35 million.
Now named in England’s squad for the next two international fixtures, Quansah spoke to the media on Monday and explained his reasoning behind the move.
“At Liverpool, I learned from the best players around me, and that was really good for my career. But to reach the level I want to get to, at this stage of my career, at 22, I need to play a lot more matches.”
“All things considered, that’s why the decision was made. I felt moving abroad was the best option for me.”
This season, Quansah has played the full 90 minutes in all nine of Leverkusen’s opening matches — even scoring on his Bundesliga debut.
