Liverpool news: Jurgen Klopp leaves Arne Slot a parting gift | Football | Sports

Another centre-back will likely be sought to replace Matip this summer, but first he will need to prove himself worthy of starting over Ibrahima Konate and Quansah. And you can guarantee that the England Under-21 international, steely and confident, won’t let anyone push him without a fight.

Quansah will be as combative as he has been on the field this term. Among center backs 21 years of age or younger who have played more than 1,000 minutes this season, no one exceeds their percentage of defensive duels won (78.6%).

Equally impressive is Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite on 76 per cent, while highly-rated duo Castello Lukeba (RB Leipzig) and Leny Yoro (Lille) are on 71.8 and 70.8 per cent respectively.

Quansah has achieved this despite playing in the Premier League in a tried and tested Klopp system where centre-backs are as high as the half-way line and vulnerable to counter-attacks. That’s why the German called him a “top, top talent” and why he’s racked up 2,313 minutes in all competitions.

Only Trent Alexander-Arnold has played more minutes in a single season of all the academy players who played under Klopp. And in that time, Quansah has proven to be the model central defender of our day.

His manager emphasized “it’s special how calm he is on the ball”. And he plays with the maturity and composure of a seasoned pro. “I’m not sure how long we’ve been treating them as ‘youngsters’, I can’t remember when that happened,” Klopp said of Quansah and Conor Bradley last month. “They’re just important to us.”

This clearly shows that Quansah is not a child. He is a valuable member of the first team setup. And how grateful Slot will be to have such a monumental talent to call upon on Merseyside and one who is still only 21 and improving by the day.

Quansah has the talent and mentality to be Virgil van Dijk’s long-term successor. “We still have a strong group and it’s only going to get stronger the longer we’re together,” Quansah said recently. Make no mistake, he is an essential part of this group and will be for many seasons under the Slot.