Liverpool have placed considerable optimism in Jeremy Jacquet after splashing a £60 million fee to secure the highly‑rated French centre‑back this summer. Although a shoulder problem has delayed his pre‑season involvement, the club believes the young defender’s potential justifies the wait. Initially signed as a backup to the established partnership of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté, with the long‑term aim of eventually replacing them alongside teenage recruit Giovanni Leoni, Jacquet’s role has shifted.
Following Konaté’s free‑transfer departure at the close of last season, the Frenchman now appears poised to step directly into the starting XI. Joe Gómez was a contender to partner Van Dijk in Liverpool’s Premier League opener against Newcastle, but a recurring injury setback forced him out of the squad during the pre‑season.
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, is still rehabilitating from a serious ACL injury sustained on his debut for the Reds in September. Consequently, Jacquet is likely to be called upon for the opening weekend, despite not having featured in any pre‑season matches due to Liverpool’s cautious handling of his shoulder issue, which has lingered since February. In the six‑month window from last summer to January 2026, Liverpool completed contracts with five centre‑backs who were 20 or younger at the time of signing – Leoni, Amadou Ndiaye, Ibrahima Ndukwe, Noah Adekoya and Jacquet.
The 21‑year‑old’s shoulder injury cut short his final season with Rennes just days after finalising his move to Anfield, and a planned debut against Leeds United was postponed because he still felt discomfort. He may still feature in one of Liverpool’s remaining pre‑season friendlies – either the Monaco game at Anfield on Sunday or the fixture against Como a week later. Manager Andoni Iraola is eager to see Jacquet alongside Van Dijk before the campaign kicks off with the trip to St James’ Park on 23 August.
When Jacquet committed to Liverpool in February, he turned down overtures from Chelsea and Bayern Munich. At that time, Dutch coach Arne Slot was still at the helm, but after Slot’s departure the defender will now begin his Merseyside chapter under a new manager as Liverpool aim to rebound from a fragmented title defence last season. Defensive frailties were a major concern for the reigning champions.
Only Iraola’s Bournemouth conceded more goals among the top‑ten finishers, with Liverpool allowing 53 goals – the highest tally in a 38‑game Premier League season. Of those, 20 were conceded from set‑pieces, a record that re‑emerged in the disastrous collapse against Leeds, where a makeshift backline 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 of them in the league – the responsibility is substantial. Yet Arsenal also monitored Jacquet closely last summer before Liverpool moved decisively, investing £60 million in January and making him the fourth‑most expensive defender aged 21 or under in football history. Born in the Bondy district of Paris, Jacquet graduated from Rennes’ famed academy, which has recently produced talents such as Desire Doué, Mathys Tel and Lesley Ugochukwu. He now stands as the Breton club’s record sale, overtaking even Ousmane Dembélé and Doué.
While trying to break into Rennes’ first team, Jacquet spent two loan spells at Clermont, the second of which was in Ligue 2. Explaining his choice to L’Équipe, he said, “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 (£856,000) to terminate the second loan early in February 2025, bringing Jacquet back to become a key figure in their senior side.
The club was so keen to retain him that they insisted on keeping him for the remainder of the season during negotiations with Liverpool in the winter window. European football analyst Kevin Hatchard told Sky Sports News, “He had a loan at Clermont that went well.
Rennes valued him highly – they didn’t want to lose him in January. His coach Habib Beye even said, ‘If we let him go this season, we’ll have to lower our ambitions.’" Liverpool’s original blueprint was for Jacquet to learn from his idol Van Dijk – “If I want to reach the highest level, I must absorb everything from him and others” – before being gradually integrated into the starting eleven. This plan reflected his limited top‑level experience; he had only been a regular at the highest level since January 2024, had not featured in European competition, and arrived at Anfield with roughly 8,000 senior minutes.
However, those plans have accelerated, pushing Jacquet toward an earlier debut than initially anticipated. Iraola appears unconcerned about Jacquet’s relative inexperience because the defender possesses leadership qualities reminiscent of Van Dijk.
He captained France at every youth level from U17 to U20 and led the side at the 2024 U19 European Championship, where he earned a place in the tournament’s best‑XI. Physically, Jacquet is well‑suited to the Premier League’s increasingly physical demands.
Standing 6 ft 3 in tall, he combines athleticism with technical ability. Originally a midfielder, he modeled his early game on Paul Pogba.
When Rennes scouts saw his defensive potential, they persuaded him to transition to the back line, a decision he now acknowledges was correct. His midfield background translates into composure on the ball, a trait often compared to Van Dijk’s calmness and elegance. “I’m calm on the ball, maybe I look a bit non‑chalant, but I stay focused,” Jacquet explained.
“What defines me is playing out well, breaking lines with the right pass.” Statistically, his numbers support this description. In Ligue 1 last season, the right‑footed Frenchman completed 90.4 % of his passes (973 of 1,076). Defensively, he excelled in aerial duels, winning 75.5 % of them – the third‑best rate in the league – and ranked among the top 20 for ground duels, achieving a 62 % success rate at Rennes. Opta data shows he averaged 4.9 clearances and 4.14 successful possessions per 90 minutes.
French football expert Julien Laurens, who has followed Jacquet’s budding career, believes Liverpool have made a sound investment. “He’s the real deal,” Laurens told Sky Sports News.
“He’s only 21, hasn’t played for the senior France side or in the Champions League, but his performances since returning from loan have been impressive. He reminds me of William Saliba’s emergence at Saint‑Étienne or Wesley Fofana’s rise. Paying a large sum for a player with limited experience is risky, but the potential is massive.” If Jacquet can translate his Ligue 1 form to the Premier League and develop into a reliable partner for Van Dijk, Liverpool will have secured a worthy successor to their defensive stalwart and added a genuine long‑term asset to their back line.