Even the most sanguine of Liverpool supporters will likely have conceded that the Premier League title is now out of reach for Jurgen Klopp as he approaches the culmination of his tenure.
Just like Steven Gerrard's final moments as a Liverpool player, the club's latest bona fide legend is facing a bleak and bitter exit after a career on Merseyside that has left him lionised as one of the most influential figures in the club's modern history, the man who lifted a wayward club and placed it back among the trophies and back among Europe's elite.
Mohamed Salah is likely leaving too, involved in an enflamed clash with his manager when told to come on after the 80th-minute, refusing to disclose the specifics and saying that if he speaks, "there will be fire" when quizzed by a reporter post-match against West Ham United.
It all speaks of ingredients for a cauldron of calamity following such sublime progress throughout the lion's share of the 2023/24 campaign, but the draw against West Ham was emblematic of the glaring issues: slow starts, a lack of unity and defensive fragilities.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed that incoming Liverpool manager Arne Slot's priority will be signing a centre-back this summer, with young star Jarell Quansah perhaps feeling the weight of a lightning-fast acceleration to the senior squad.
Jarell Quansah's performance vs West Ham
Quansah must be proud of his rise to prominence this season, he must be proud of his steely disposition on the field, his natural reading of the game and his ball-playing quality that makes him an attractive prospect for a top outfit like Liverpool.
But he must also be accepting of his faults and he must be willing to absorb criticism and use it to fortify his resolve and continue to build next season, at a new phase in his side's history.
Against West Ham, as has been the case on multiple occasions in recent weeks, the 21-year-old struggled to contain his opponents and played a part in both of the Irons' goals, conceding possession in the build-up to Jarrod Bowen's opener and losing out against Michail Antonio as the veteran placed a free header past Alisson to restore parity.
GOAL's Mark Doyle even decided to brand Quansah with a lowly 4/10 match rating after his tough Irons test, writing: 'Was looking so comfortable – particularly on the ball – until a loose pass eventually led to West Ham taking the lead. Then caught in no man's land when Antonio headed home the equaliser.'
Minutes played
89'
Touches
102
Accurate passes
80/89 (90%)
Possession lost
11x
Tackles
3
Interceptions
1
Clearances
5
Duels won
8/14
Dribbled past
1
As the table above shows, Quansah didn't exactly suffer a shocker at the London Stadium when considering the scope of his display, with his robustness and passing skills indeed on show.
But he's undoubtedly lacking polish and he has been a victim of his own precocity this season, deemed ready to play an important role after completing a season on loan in League One last year.
As per FBref, Quansah ranks among the top 1% of centre-halves across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 16% for progressive passes, the top 20% for progressive passes, the top 12% for successful take-ons, the top 19% for shot-creating actions and the top 10% for aerial duels won per 90.
It's a remarkable array of qualities for one so young, so early in his craft, and it's for this reason that Quansah has amassed 30 appearances for the Liverpool first team this season, scoring one goal and supplying three assists during the Carabao Cup run – a run that handed the 6 foot 5 titan his first piece of silverware.
But it's his regular inclusion in the starting line-up that highlights exactly why Romano believes Slot will move to sign a new defender as his first port of call.
Why Arne Slot must sign a centre-back this summer
Virgil van Dijk was awarded the captaincy at Anfield last summer following Jordan Henderson and James Milner's departures, and while the Dutchman has been one of the finest defenders in Europe, he has struggled with a lack of cohesion stemming from regular disruptions in Liverpool's rearguard.
Joel Matip, a stalwart at Liverpool under Klopp, ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in December and won't feature again this season – the 32-year-old is out of contract in a few months and it is unlikely a deal will be reached.
Moreover, Ibrahima Konate's flaws have been on full show in recent matches, with The Athletic's James Pearce even remarking that the France international's display was "dreadful" as Liverpool lost at home to Crystal Palace two weeks ago.
Who Slot might move for to strengthen the Liverpool defence is uncertain at this stage but it's likely that a deal could be struck early given the judicious nature of FSG's chief of football Michael Edwards.
It's also important to note that Liverpool will, in all likelihood, return to the Champions League next season and will, as such, need extra firepower to wade deep through the testing waters of that competition.
Quansah has been immense this season but he was able to cut his teeth in the Europa League and it might have been a wholly different tale had he been chucked into the Champions League at the dawn of his Liverpool career.
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Let's not forget that this time last year Quansah plied his trade in League One with Bristol Rovers. His rise, frankly, has been nothing short of meteoric, and there is a high-level star in there.
But Quansah is still young, coarse and unrefined, and while Matip's season-ending injury accelerated his Anfield development, there is no doubt that Van Dijk and Konate could do with another backliner to strengthen Slot's accord.
Quansah might lose out on a bit of game time, but in the long run, it would only benefit him in the long term as he forges an illustrious career.
