Jarell Quansah

Key strength: Aerial dominance

Defensive anchor

Sitting sixth in the Bundesliga with form reading WWDLD, Bayer Leverkusen's campaign under Xabi Alonso has fallen short of last season's invincible heights. Yet amid the collective stutter, one signing has emerged as an unqualified triumph: Jarell Quansah. The 23-year-old Liverpool academy graduate arrived with promise but has delivered like a seasoned veteran—starting 29 consecutive matches and amassing 2,383 minutes of commanding defensive presence. His numbers defy the traditional centre-back mold: three goals from set-pieces showcasing aerial menace, coupled with remarkable discipline that has yielded just two yellow cards all season. Quansah is the immovable anchor Leverkusen lean on, his €40 million valuation now looking like shrewd business as he forges a formidable partnership with Edmond Tapsoba. In a season of recalibration for Die Werkself, this young Englishman has become their defensive bedrock.