Arsenal are still looking to strengthen their defence after winning the Premier League title during the 2025-26 campaign.
The Gunners finished top with 85 points and also reached the Champions League final before losing to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties.
Mikel Arteta has already added several new players this summer as Arsenal prepare to defend their domestic crown.
Bruno Guimaraes arrived from Newcastle United for £75 million, while Piero Hincapie and Christos Tzolis also joined the squad.
However, injuries have created fresh concerns at the back ahead of the new Premier League season.
William Saliba will miss the start of Arsenal’s title defence after suffering a back injury at the World Cup.
Jurrien Timber is also struggling to regain fitness after missing two months towards the end of last season with an ankle problem.
As a result, Arsenal have continued exploring defensive options in the final weeks of the transfer window.
According to Rob Dorsett, Arsenal have expressed interest in signing Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah, with talks currently at an exploratory stage.
The 23-year-old fits Arsenal’s profile because he can operate at both centre-back and right-back.
Quansah joined Bayer Leverkusen from Liverpool last year and made 44 appearances during his first season in Germany.
He also scored five goals for the Bundesliga club and featured for England at this summer’s World Cup.
Liverpool still hold an option to match any offer for Quansah as part of the deal that took him to Leverkusen. However, Liverpool do not intend to activate that clause.
Arsenal are also continuing talks over Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa. Villa want around £60 million for the England international, while Arsenal value him closer to £40 million.
It remains unclear whether Arsenal’s interest in Quansah could influence their pursuit of Konsa.
For now, Arteta’s side are keeping both options open as they look to add more defensive depth before the new season begins.
Excl: Arsenal in talks with Bayer Leverkusen over a possible deal for England defender Jarrel Quansah. I’m told #Bayer04 don’t want to sell, and it would likely take considerably more than the £30m Leverkusen paid #lfc last summer, to prise him away. #afc
— Rob Dorsett (@RobDorsettSky) August 14, 2026
Want to get the latest transfer news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.
