Liverpool have placed considerable optimism in the acquisition of Jeremy Jacquet, a highly rated young centre‑back who arrived at Anfield after the club committed a £60 million fee this summer. Although a shoulder injury has delayed his participation in pre‑season fixtures, the French defender appears to be worth the patience required for his recovery. Initially, Jacquet was recruited as a backup to the established central‑defence pairing of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konâte, with the long‑term intention of eventually taking over from the duo alongside teenage prospect Giovanni Leoni. The departure of Konâte on a free transfer at the close of last season has accelerated Jacquet's expected role, positioning him as a potential replacement for the Paris‑born defender.
Joe Gomez was a strong candidate to partner van Dijk in Liverpool's Premier League opener against Newcastle, a match broadcast live on Sky Sports. However, the veteran's recurring injury problems resurfaced during pre‑season, removing him from the immediate selection.
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 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, even though he has not yet featured in any pre‑season games due to a cautious approach to his lingering shoulder issue, which has kept him sidelined since February. Over the six‑month period from last summer to January 2026, Liverpool secured contracts for five centre‑backs who were 20 or younger at the time of signing – Leoni, Amine Ndiaye, Ndukwe, Noah Adekoya and Jacquet.
The 21‑year‑old's shoulder problem cut short his final season with Rennes just days after finalising his move to Liverpool, and a planned debut against Leeds United last Sunday was postponed because he continued to feel discomfort. Jacquet could still feature in one of Liverpool's last two pre‑season friendlies at Anfield – either against Monaco on Sunday or against Como a week later.
Manager Andoni Iraola is keen to see the new signing paired with 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 manager Arne Slot was still in charge at Anfield.
Slot has since left, meaning Jacquet will now begin his Merseyside career under a new head coach as Liverpool aim to rebound from a fragmented title defence in the previous Premier League season. Defensive frailties were a major concern for the reigning champions last campaign. Only Iraola's Bournemouth conceded more goals among the top‑ten teams, with Liverpool allowing 53 goals – the highest total in a 38‑match season.
Of those, 20 were conceded from set‑pieces, a worrying statistic that re‑emerged in the dramatic collapse against Leeds, where a makeshift defence yielded four goals in just 25 minutes of the second half, including two from long throws. Such a defensive record is a heavy burden for a player who, before joining Liverpool, had logged fewer than 100 senior appearances across all competitions and just 37 league games. Nevertheless, Arsenal were also monitoring Jacquet closely last summer before Liverpool moved decisively, investing £60 million in January.
That fee made him the fourth‑most expensive defender aged 21 or younger in football history. Born in the Bondy suburb of Paris, Jacquet progressed through Rennes' acclaimed academy, which has recently produced talents such as Desire Doué, Mathys Tel and Lesley Ugochukwu. He now stands as Rennes' record sale, surpassing even Ousmane Dembélé and Doué.
While attempting to break into the Rennes first team, Jacquet spent two loan spells at Clermont, the second of which was in Ligue 2. He explained to L'Equipe that he chose the loan route to secure regular playing time, a decision he believes paid off. Rennes paid nearly €1 million (£856,000) to terminate his second loan early in February 2025, recalling him to become a key figure in their senior side. His importance was such that Rennes insisted on retaining 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 and didn’t want to let him go in January. Their coach Habib Beye even said, 'If we let him go this season, we'll have to downgrade our goals.'" Liverpool originally envisaged Jacquet learning directly from his idol van Dijk – "If I want to go as high as possible, I must immerse myself in him and others" – before gradually being introduced into the starting eleven.
This plan reflected his relative inexperience; Jacquet had only been playing at the highest level since January 2024, had never featured in European competition, and arrived at Anfield with roughly 8,000 senior minutes under his belt. However, circumstances have accelerated his integration, prompting an earlier debut than initially planned. Despite his limited top‑flight experience, Iraola appears confident that Jacquet can cope.
The defender has demonstrated natural leadership, captaining France at every youth level from U17 to U20 and wearing the armband at the 2024 U19 European Championship, where he was named in the tournament's best XI. Physically, Jacquet possesses the size and athleticism required for the increasingly physical Premier League. Standing 6ft 3in tall, he combines strength with agility, making him a commanding presence in aerial duels. His background as a midfielder – he initially modeled his game on Paul Pogba – has endowed him with composure on the ball.
He once said, "I wanted to play like him," but Rennes scouts convinced him to transition to defence, a move he now acknowledges was wise. That midfield foundation translates into confidence when playing out from the back. Jacquet describes himself as "calm on the ball, maybe a bit non‑chalant, but focused," emphasizing his desire to break lines with intelligent passing.
The statistics support this self‑assessment: in Ligue 1 last season he completed 90.4% of his passes (973 of 1,076), and he recorded a 75.5% success rate in aerial duels – the third‑best in the league – across 19 top‑flight appearances. He also ranked among the top 20 for ground duels, winning 62% of them, and averaged 4.9 clearances and 4.14 successful possessions per 90 minutes. French football commentator Julien Laurens has been an outspoken supporter of the signing, stating, "He's the real deal. He's only 21, hasn't played for the senior France side or in the Champions League, but he's impressed since returning from his loan.
You can't go wrong – he reminds me of William Saliba's emergence at Saint‑Étienne or Wesley Fofana. Paying that amount for such a young player is a gamble, but the potential is enormous." If Jacquet can replicate the form he displayed in France at Anfield, Liverpool will have secured a genuine successor to the legendary Van Dijk, reinforcing a back line that struggled with set‑piece vulnerability and consistency last season.
His blend of ball‑playing ability, aerial dominance, leadership pedigree and youthful energy offers the Reds a fresh defensive cornerstone as they aim to restore their status among England's elite clubs.