Bayer Leverkusen have reportedly insisted that Liverpool should include either Harvey Elliott or Jarell Quansah in any deal to sign Florian Wirtz.
After winning the Premier League title, the Merseysiders are showing signs of ambition, with the club having already signed Jeremie Frimpong to help replace Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The Reds are also keen on signing Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez to replace veteran Andrew Robertson, but their biggest acquisition of the summer could be Wirtz of Leverkusen.
Liverpool have already tabled a bid in excess of £100m for the Bundesliga attacker, but there is yet to be an agreement on a transfer amid speculation that Die Schwarzroten are demanding a fee closer to £130m.
The Reds may have the opportunity to avoid matching Leverkusen's asking price according to transfer expert Florian Plettenberg, who claims that the Bundesliga side are keen to include either Elliott or Quansah in the deal for Wirtz.
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Should Liverpool let Quansah go?
Quansah started Liverpool's first game of the season against Ipswich Town in August 2024 but was replaced at half time by Ibrahima Konate, and the centre-back has since made just three Premier League starts.
The 22-year-old is a capable passer and his 6ft 5in frame helps him compete physically against combative forwards, though he can struggle when faced against more agile attackers.
Quansah would likely benefit from being able to iron out his defensive flaws, but considering Liverpool have lost Alexander-Arnold and could lose Joe Gomez, Konate and Kostas Tsimikas, it is unclear at this stage whether the club can afford to lose so many defenders in one window.
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Should Liverpool let Elliott go?
Much like Quansah, attacker Elliott has found game time difficult to come by, with the Englishman only starting two Premier League matches in 2024-25.
Elliott has struggled to get minutes ahead of Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai, and it is difficult to see how he would be able to break into the team if Wirtz was signed.
Though he is just 22 years of age and could improve, the exit of the Reds forward would likely be less impactful than the departure of Quansah given there is significantly more cover in the team's offensive positions.
Lewis Nolan
