Virgil van Dijk may have signed a two-year Liverpool contract extension but the club will be hunting for a long-term replacement for the legendary defender.
The centre-back, who turns 34 in July, continued at the top of his game in the 2024-25 campaign as Arne Slot’s side lifted the Premier League title.
Liverpool have made another early move in this summer window, agreeing to sell young defender Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen for an initial fee of £34million.
However, it has been widely reported that the Reds will have the option to bring Quansah back to Anfield from 2027 for more than £50million.
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – has had his say on Liverpool’s masterplan for the England Under-21 international star.
‘Liverpool get PSR boost as Quansah deal agreed’, says Wyness
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness insisted Liverpool’s deal for Quansah not only secures a replacement for Van Dijk – but also helps their Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) position.
The young centre-back came through the ranks on Merseyside and will fetch pure profit in the club’s accounts when his exit is confirmed.
Wyness insisted Liverpool have been “very smart” in the transfer market after agreeing early deals for Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “I think they’re lucky that they’re going to send him away from the Premier League, so they won’t be competing against him in that sense.
They’ll have a buyback clause and there’ll probably be a bonus part of that as well.
“I think it’s a great move for them. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him coming back to Liverpool at some stage in the future.
“Overall, it’s a good bit of business.
“It’s almost like putting a player out on loan in that sense, in a funny way, but it actually helps on the PSR and the financial issues very well.
“It’s a very smart move if they can get that done and I think great for his development and I think, as I say, at the end he could be brought back in a couple of years’ time, maybe to replace Van Dijk.
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