Danny Murphy has showered praise on Liverpool youngster Jarell Quansah after his impressive performance against Wolves in the Premier League.
The former Reds defender turned popular football pundit has described him as “graceful”, suggesting there’s more to come from him.
The 20-year-old – who has come through the academy ranks at Liverpool – was handed his first start for the club against Wolves last Saturday (16 September).
He has already made his debut against Newcastle United early in the season and Klopp didn’t hesitate to put him in the starting line-up against Wolves, as he was running out of options.
Virgil van Dijk was suspended, while there were concerns over Ibrahima Konate’s fitness ahead of the game. With Trent Alexander-Arnold also missing out, it provided Klopp with the perfect opportunity to blood the youngster and he didn’t disappoint.
“Quansah, he’s been at Liverpool since he was a kid. Young lad, tall, he’s graceful. Did really well, I thought he did well,” Murphy told the FIVE YouTube channel.
“The only area of concern with Liverpool has been at the back because a lot of people say, ‘without Konate, who’s going to cover Trent when he goes missing? Matip, although he’s been great, maybe he’s lost his legs’. And this young lad’s emerging and seems to be answering a few of those questions. I think with Liverpool, there’s more to come.”
The emergence of Quansah could save Liverpool millions in the transfer market. During the summer transfer window, it felt like the Reds probably would sign one more centre-back.
However, Klopp opted to bolster the midfield areas only and kept his faith in the current defensive set-up. It seems that Quansah can now be a reliable option for the rest of the season.
Joel Matip has lost his legs and the fitness of both Gomez and Konate remains a big concern. With Matip set to become a free agent at the end of the season, chances are high that the Reds will invest heavily in new defenders next summer.
The Reds made a strong start to the season winning four of their last five Premier League games, drawing the other one. Against Wolves, the Reds came from behind to seal all three points, with two dramatic goals sealing the tie.
Liverpool will face West Ham on Sunday (24 September) in the Premier League at Anfield.
