Liverpool have placed a substantial bet on 21‑year‑old French centre‑back Jeremy Jacquet, splashing roughly £60 million to secure his services this summer. The club’s confidence appears justified as the defender readies himself for his inaugural appearance at Anfield. Initially recruited as a backup to the established partnership of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté, Jacquet was earmarked to eventually take over alongside the teenage prospect Giovanni Leoni.
The departure of Konaté on a free transfer at the close of last season has accelerated Jacquet's promotion, positioning him as the natural successor to the Paris‑born defender. Joe Gomez was once in the frame to partner Van Dijk in Liverpool's Premier League opener against Newcastle United, but a recurring injury problem struck again during pre‑season, leaving the veteran on the sidelines. Meanwhile, 19‑year‑old Leoni, signed from Parma as part of Fenway Sports Group’s strategy to lower the average age of the first‑team squad, is still rehabilitating from an ACL injury suffered on his Reds debut in September. Consequently, Jacquet’s debut has been fast‑tracked.
From the summer of 2025 to January 2026, Liverpool completed contracts for five centre‑backs aged 20 or younger – Leoni, Ndiaye, Ndukwe, Noah Adekoya and Jacquet – underscoring the club’s commitment to youth in the heart of defence. The Frenchman himself has just emerged from a shoulder injury that cut short his season with Rennes shortly after he agreed to join Liverpool.
His intended debut against Leeds United was postponed because he still felt discomfort, and head coach Andoni Iraola opted to proceed cautiously with the new signing. Optimism is now building that Jacquet could feature in one of Liverpool's final two pre‑season friendlies at Anfield – either against AS Monaco on Sunday or against Como a week later. Iraola is eager to see the youngster alongside Van Dijk before the league campaign begins with the trip to St James’ Park on 23 August. When Jacquet signed his pre‑contract in February, he turned down offers from Chelsea and Bayern Munich.
At that time, Dutch manager Arne Slot was still at the helm. Since Slot’s departure, Jacquet will now start his Merseyside adventure under Iraola, who inherits a side that fell short in a fragmented title defence. Last season, Liverpool’s defensive frailties were a major talking point.
Only Iraola’s Bournemouth conceded more goals among the top‑ten finishers, with Liverpool allowing 53 goals – the highest total in a 38‑match Premier League season. Of those, 20 were conceded from set‑pieces, a record that resurfaced in the recent collapse against Leeds, where a makeshift back line yielded four goals in just 25 minutes of second‑half play, two of them from long throws. For a player with fewer than 100 senior appearances across all competitions – just 37 in the league – the pressure is considerable.
Yet Jacquet attracted interest from Arsenal last summer, and Liverpool’s £60 million outlay made him the fourth‑most expensive defender under the age of 21 in football history. Born in the Bondy suburb of Paris, Jacquet is a product of Rennes’ celebrated academy, which has also produced talents such as Desire Doué, Mathys Tel and Lesley Ugochukwu.
He now stands as Rennes’ record sale, surpassing even Ousmane Dembélé in transfer value. Early in his career, Jacquet spent two loan spells at Clermont, the second in Ligue 2. Speaking to L’Équipe, he explained his choice: “It was either stay at Rennes with limited minutes or go somewhere and play. I chose the latter, and it paid off.” Rennes paid nearly €1 million to end his second loan early in February 2025, recalling him to become a key figure in their first‑team.
The club insisted on retaining him for the remainder of the season during negotiations with Liverpool, highlighting his importance. European football analyst Kevin Hatchard told Sky Sports News, “He performed well on loan at Clermont. Rennes valued him so highly they didn’t want to let him go in January.” Former Rennes coach Habib Beye added, “If we let him leave this season we would have to lower our ambitions.” Liverpool originally envisaged Jacquet learning directly from his idol Van Dijk, gradually easing into the starting XI. At the time, he had only been playing top‑flight football since January 2024, had no European experience, and possessed roughly 8,000 senior minutes.
Those plans have now been revised, accelerating his integration into the first team. Iraola appears untroubled by Jacquet’s limited experience because the defender brings leadership qualities reminiscent of Van Dijk. He captained France at every youth level from U17 to U20 and wore the armband at the 2024 U19 European Championship, where he earned a place in the tournament’s best XI. Physically, Jacquet fits the Premier League’s demanding, combative style.
Standing 6ft 3in tall, he combines size with athleticism, making him a formidable aerial presence. His technical background is equally impressive; he began as a midfielder, modelling his game on Paul Pogba.
Rennes scouts later convinced him to transition to defence, a move he now acknowledges was the right one. His midfield roots give him composure on the ball, drawing comparisons to Van Dijk’s calmness and the Dutchman’s elegance. “I’m calm on the ball, maybe a bit non‑chalant, but focused,” Jacquet said.
“What defines me is playing out well, breaking lines with the right pass.” Statistically, his Ligue 1 numbers support this assessment. He completed 90.4% of his passes last season (973 of 1,076 attempts).
Defensively, he won 75.5% of aerial duels – the third‑best rate in the league – and ranked among the top 20 for ground duels, posting a 62% success rate. Opta data shows he averaged 4.9 clearances and 4.14 possessions won per 90 minutes.
French football pundit Julien Laurens summed up the sentiment: “He’s the real deal. He’s only 21, hasn’t played for the senior France side or in the Champions League, but his progress at Rennes has been impressive. He reminds me of William Saliba’s rise or Wesley Fofana.
You can’t go wrong – he’ll be amazing.” If Jacquet can replicate the performances of his compatriot at the Emirates, Liverpool will have secured a worthy heir to Van Dijk’s legacy and a cornerstone for the club’s defensive rebuild.