'Got everything' - Harry Redknapp says Liverpool already have long-term solution for key position

Liverpool’s turbulent season has come to an end and Jurgen Klopp has bid farewell to Anfield, stepping down from his role as manager after nine iconic years. The German delivered an emotional speech after his final match in charge of the Reds and opened the door for the Arne Slot era, while assuring fans he is now ‘one of them’ as he looks to back Liverpool as a supporter moving forwards.

With Slot now confirmed as Klopp’s successor, focus can now shift to what this new era at Liverpool will bring ahead of the 2024/25 season. The Reds have already been linked with a number of potential new signings but one of the burning questions is still whether Slot will have the same approach to youth players as Klopp before him.

Since his arrival at Anfield, Klopp has handed opportunities to young stars and given them the platform for their career to take off. Trent Alexander-Arnold is of course the biggest example, along with Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and most recently, Conor Bradley. These Liverpool youngsters have earned their plaudits over the years and are now regarded as senior members of the squad.

Jarell Quansah is another young star who has grabbed his chance with both hands under Klopp and now has a bright future ahead of him. The 21-year-old only made his senior debut last August but has gone on to become a regular at Anfield. Quansah made a total of 33 senior appearances across all competitions during the 2023/24 season and has been viewed as a someone who can permanently partner and potentially even take over from Virgil van Dijk in the near future.

Harry Redknapp named Quansah in his final Team of the Week for BetVictor and tipped him to become a long-term choice for Liverpool at centre-back. The Reds have been linked with new defensive signings since January following a string of long-term injuries to senior players including Andy Robertson and Joël Matip, who will leave the club next month having had his final season cut short due to ACL surgery.

“Jarell Quansah has had such a fantastic season for Liverpool and capped it off with a goal in Jurgen Klopp’s last game,” Redknapp said. “It helps playing alongside someone as good as Virgil van Dijk, but this boy looks like he’s got everything in his locker and could be the long-term answer in that position.”

Klopp was a fan of Quansah and his ability to step up to the plate, however, he also acknowledged that his squad was short on central defenders. Back in August at the start of the season, the former boss admitted that he would have liked more centre-backs at his disposal and that the team would need to try and avoid injuries, which they didn’t.

He said: “In an ideal world we have six, seven, eight centre-halves. We need to be lucky with injuries. I have no doubt about the quality of the boys we have, we have Jarell Quansah, a super-talented player as well. In this moment, we are covered but it’s not dreamland where you can be prepared for absolutely each situation. We had to learn that in the past as well a couple of times."