Liverpool Transfer News: Deal for homegrown star moves CLOSER | OneFootball

Alongside building the rest of their squad from overseas assets, Liverpool have to make sure homegrown assets have a place in the team. It's an integral Premier League regulation to follow.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's departure has already left the club with a little bit of a headache, because he was world class talent who had earned his place in the team, and his nationality was English.

Having both of those qualities makes you a player that clubs desperately don't want to lose. Throw in the fact that he was from Merseyside, and you can understand the heartbreak that unfolded when he left, even before you consider the strong emotional bond that the fans had with the player.

As such, losing a player like Jarell Quansah is not something that Liverpool are going to sanction without due consideration. His last campaign was underwhelming, but he is still developing and he only signed a new four-year contract in October. However, an exit route might have just opened up.

Quansah to Leverkusen, Guehi to Liverpool?

For most of the last few weeks, the focus has been on Florian Wirtz's transfer from Bayer Leverkusen and Milos Kerkez's negotiations to join Liverpool from Bournemouth, alongside minimal updates about Darwin Nunez's situation and Federico Chiesa's future.

But Paul Joyce at The Times had an update that was somewhat out of the blue, where he spoke of Leverkusen's interest in Quansah and how they intend to step up negotiations.

In his report, he wrote: "Quansah has been identified as a player who could improve the new head coach Erik Ten Hag's squad.

"It would take a a sizeable fee, perhaps towards £40m, for Liverpool to consider selling the 22-year-old, who is at present at the Under-21 European Championship with Lee Carsley's England squad.

"Leverkusen - who have sold Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool for £29.5m - would clearly try and sign him for less."

The deal for Quansah and the deal for Florian Wirtz are separate, but it seems as though Liverpool have some players that are of interest to Leverkusen, as well as the other way around.

Now, given that he is a young, homegrown talent, who is contracted for the next four years, why would Liverpool consider selling him. Well, the answer is actually straightforward - it's Marc Guehi.

The captain at Crystal Palace will enter the last year of his contract with the Eagles if he doesn't move this summer for a transfer fee and Liverpool are reportedly interest in him.

In the same report, Joyce added: "Guehi is liked by Liverpool, with circumstances around Quansah, and others, likely to determine whether any interest develops now, or they continue to monitor his situation given he would be available on a free transfer in 12 months."

As such, while Quansah might not be getting pushed to the exit door, a potential is in place to replace him and Guehi offers a similar profile to the Liverpool defender - he's young, he's talented and he is homegrown, but he is already an established and developed asset. He can be relied upon.

Furthermore, while some might not consider 24 years old to be young, it has been reported by The Athletic a few weeks ago that Liverpool's target age is 24 or younger - Guehi would fit that criteria.

As such, Liverpool would not necessarily be paying a ludicrous fee for the English centre-back, in order for him to replace another centre-back who he is marginally older than and superior to.

If the interest in Quansah takes off and a deal is struck, Liverpool know exactly what they have to do.