By Martin Graham
Liverpool have completed an agreement to bring Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet to Anfield in a package that could reach £60m, although the move will only be completed in the summer.
At the beginning of the winter window, Jacquet was largely unknown to a wider audience, making the scale of the investment all the more striking.
The Merseyside club are prepared to pay £55m initially, with a further £5m linked to add-ons, for a 20-year-old they believe can anchor their defence for many seasons.
Despite conceding 33 goals in 24 Premier League matches and dealing with persistent fitness problems at the back, Arne Slot’s side accepted that the player would remain in France until the end of the campaign.
Rennes made it clear they would not consider a January departure, standing firm even with Liverpool’s willingness to meet a fee beyond the £55.4m they received from Manchester City for Jeremy Doku in 2023.
Why liverpool are prepared to wait
Liverpool have secured Jacquet on a contract running to 2031, with an option to extend for an extra year, underlining how highly they rate his long-term prospects.
Their recruitment team views the Frenchman as a defender who already has significant top-flight exposure for his age, with internal analysis supporting the decision to invest heavily.
French football analyst Julien Laurens described Jacquet as potentially the standout centre-back of his generation, highlighting his physical profile, pace, and dominance in duels.
While Laurens noted that his technical ability still needs refinement, he believes Jacquet has the intelligence to develop into a player comparable to Virgil van Dijk.
This season, Jacquet has mainly operated in a three-man defence for Rennes, after previously spending a brief loan spell at Clermont in Ligue 2 before returning and amassing 36 Ligue 1 appearances.
Strengths, flaws and growing expectations
Aerially, Jacquet has been one of Ligue 1’s most effective defenders in 2025–26, winning 75.51% of his contests in the air, the best return among players in his position.
That aggression has also brought risk, with three mistakes leading directly to shots, placing him among the league’s higher totals in that category.
Speaking to L’Equipe via Ligue 1, Jacquet characterised himself as composed in possession, focused on passing through lines rather than rushing decisions.
His pedigree at the international youth level is notable, having captained France’s junior sides and earned a place in the Under-19 European Championship team of the tournament in 2024.
Born in Bondy, the same Paris suburb as Kylian Mbappe and William Saliba, Jacquet arrives with a reputation that naturally brings scrutiny.
Part of a wider defensive rebuild
Liverpool’s interest intensified after Jacquet favoured a switch to Anfield over discussions with Chelsea, where competition from other highly rated young defenders reduced the appeal.
Contract uncertainty also shapes the timing, with Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate reaching the end of their deals this summer, while Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are tied down until 2027.
Staying at Rennes allows Jacquet to remain a regular starter as they chase European qualification, rather than fighting for minutes immediately on Merseyside.
Recent examples show the difficulty of adapting from Ligue 1, with Leny Yoro at Manchester United and Abdukodir Khusanov at Manchester City both finding the transition demanding.
Liverpool’s strategy extends beyond Jacquet, having added five centre-backs aged 20 or younger in six months as they prepare for inevitable change in that area of the squad.
