Liverpool have high expectations for Jeremy Jacquet after investing £60m to bring the highly regarded young central defender to Anfield. Despite an injury disrupting his pre-season, the Frenchman appears to be worth the wait. Initially signed as a backup to the established centre-back partnership of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, Jacquet is now poised to replace his fellow Paris-born defender after Konate's departure. With Joe Gomez struggling with injuries and 19-year-old Giovanni Leoni still recovering from an ACL injury, Jacquet is likely to be required on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
Liverpool agreed deals for five centre backs aged 20 or under in six months, highlighting their commitment to youth development. Jacquet's shoulder problem, which ended his season with Rennes prematurely, has kept him out since February, but he may return for one of Liverpool's final pre-season friendlies.
Reds boss Andoni Iraola is eager to see him alongside Van Dijk before the season starts. When Jacquet agreed to join Liverpool in February, he turned down Chelsea and Bayern Munich, and will now begin life under a new head coach. One of the biggest issues for Liverpool last season was their defense, conceding 53 goals, including 20 from set-pieces. Jacquet, who has fewer than 100 senior appearances, will shoulder a significant burden, but his potential and talent make him an exciting prospect.
The Frenchman came through Rennes' renowned academy and was sent on two loan spells at Clermont before establishing himself as a key figure in Rennes' first team. European football expert Kevin Hatchard believes Jacquet is a rising star who is good on the ball, athletic, and great in the air. Liverpool's original plan was for Jacquet to learn from Van Dijk, but his relative lack of experience is unlikely to be a concern for Iraola, given the young defender's natural leadership and physical profile. Jacquet is a ball-playing defender who began his career as a midfielder and has a calmness on the ball reminiscent of Van Dijk.
The numbers back up his assessment, with the Frenchman completing 90.4 per cent of his passes in Ligue 1 last season and recording a 75.5 per cent aerial duel success rate. French football expert Julien Laurens is convinced Liverpool have made the right call with this signing, describing Jacquet as 'the real deal' who reminds him of William Saliba and Wesley Fofana.