Liverpool have agreed a £55 million deal (plus £5 million in add-ons) to sign young defender Jérémy Jacquet in the summer. At the age of 20, he is still developing, but the early signs are that he will develop into a complete and dominant centre-back.
His physical profile is exceptional. He has a burst of acceleration, agility, pace over longer stretches and a spring in his jump – gradient Sports recorded him at a top speed of 34.5km/h against Lille this season – while his aerial win rate of 75.5% is exceptional. He is also very comfortable on the ball, always looking to break through defensive lines with speed and also has a good pass change to the opposite flank.
Born and raised in Paris, Jacquet has been one of the best centre-backs in French Ligue 1 this season, since Rennes snapped him up from a loan spell at Ligue 2 side Clermont Foot a year ago. And he is part of an incredible generation of 2005 that stood out in Rennes, along with Desire Doué (Paris Saint-Germain), Mathys Tel (Tottenham Hotspur) and Jeanuël Belocian (Bayer Leverkusen).
He has represented France at every level since the under-17 level and Didier Deschamps has also had his eye on him for the senior team ahead of the 2026 World Cup. So Liverpool seem to have landed themselves a gem, after beating Chelsea to his signature, although many might wonder why he doesn't arrive this month instead of in the summer. –Sam Tighe and Julien Laurens
Position
It's worth noting that Jacquet's high-level performances have largely come in a back three (he currently plays in the middle, while last year he spent time on the left despite being right-footed) and those roles are quite different to playing in a standard two-man central partnership.
But he has gained previous experience in a back four on loan with Clermont and some excellent French youth teams, so there should be no unpleasant surprises there. — Tighé
Strengths
What immediately catches your attention is how complete a modern centre-back looks; Physically and technically, there are very few boxes left unchecked.
His mobility is very impressive for a 6ft 2in defender, he constantly appears to be in control of his movements and his pace is at a high level both during short recovery bursts and longer defensive sprints. There's also an impressive sense of calm to his game; He plays with his head held high, rarely appears rushed and carries himself with a calm, almost effortless authority, unusual not only for a 20-year-old, but for young defenders in general.
However, he is a good defender of the box, ready for clearances and attentive to second balls, and handles aerial challenges impeccably.
His elegance is backed by excellent technical ability and quality on the ball. Jacquet's first touch is confident, allowing him to receive the ball with control under pressure, and he is comfortable circulating it in tight spaces and playing out from the back (although his left-footed distribution can be improved), which is a non-negotiable skill for centre-backs in high-possession teams.
While his short passes are reliable and efficient, it is his longer distribution that draws attention as a suitable weapon. He regularly executes good switches and incisive passes (often one-touch) through the mid lanes, often breaking opposition lines in a single action.
There is rarely a superfluous extra touch that delays momentum, meaning its distribution can do damage against an unbalanced defense. In fact, for a defender his age, that speed of action is already at a high level. — Tor-Kristian Karlsen
How can you improve?
The 4-0 loss to Monaco on Saturday offered several examples of what he needs to work on. In the first goal, Jacquet failed to adequately interrupt the trajectory of a central pass that broke the line, stepped forward without fully appreciating the space and was out of position to leave the channel open for Monaco to exploit.
The last two goals followed a similar pattern. On both occasions, Jacquet found himself inexplicably drifting to the left side, just inside the opposition's half, and misjudged his duels, leaving his defensive line exposed.
While it is difficult to point out individual defensive errors, particularly for a young centre-back, these events serve as examples that there is still room for improvement in his positional discipline, spatial awareness and split-second defensive decision-making, especially when coming off the defensive line. –Karlsen
Who else was linked?
Bayern Munich showed initial interest, but sources told ESPN that Chelsea also matched the £60m fee Liverpool agreed with Rennes and that personal terms were not expected to be an issue.
However, Chelsea are well supplied with centre-backs and, with Mamadou Sarr recalled from loan, as well as rejecting offers for Josh Acheampong, there was going to be less competition for places at Liverpool than with the Blues. There is an expectation that Ibrahima Konaté could leave Liverpool on a free transfer at the end of the season and after missing out on Marc Guéhi, so Jacquet could quickly establish himself on Merseyside. — James Olley
How will he fit in at Liverpool?
Liverpool have struggled defensively all season, so the signing of Jacquet in the summer is seen as key to strengthening the Reds' defence. With Konaté's future still up in the air and Joe Gomez having endured another season marked by injury, the signing of talented prospect Jacquet makes a lot of sense.
Arne Slot's side already had one eye on the future when they signed Giovanni Leoni from Parma last summer, with the Italian youth international being seen as one of the best young centre-backs in the world before suffering an ACL injury on his debut in September.
With captain Virgil van Dijk, 34, out of contract in 2027, it is smart for Liverpool to make long-term signings, and Jacquet is seen as having all the attributes to be a big hit on Merseyside.
However, Slot still has few defensive options heading into the rest of this season. With Jacquet not due to join until the summer and a move for Sunderland loanee Lutsharel Geertruida now unlikely to happen, the Anfield hierarchy face a decisive few months. — Beth Lindop
Many young footballers find themselves dragged into the massive teams of super clubs, struggle to make a good impression and end up coming out on the other side with their stocks damaged. As good as Jacquet is (and he really is an excellent young talent), where was the value in joining Chelsea, who currently have 10 (!) first-team centre-backs on the books and are juggling loans for Mamadou Sarr and Aaron Anselmino while finding a new home for Axel Disasi?
Liverpool, meanwhile, are undermanned in this area, to the point where Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch have to pitch in with shifts at the back, and could still lose Konaté in the summer on a free.
Soccer is a numbers game. Sometimes you don't have to be as smart as Manuel Akanji to do calculations. — Tighé
Integration time will be crucial. The areas that still require development – positioning, early reading of danger and choosing when to maintain form versus when to attack the ball – are exactly the aspects that tend to be most tested by the pace and physical intensity of the Premier League.
That said, there are reasons to believe that his adaptation could be faster than expected. Training and playing alongside Virgil van Dijk's experience and organizational presence should prove extremely useful. Playing in a back four should also naturally mitigate the level of independent work he seems prone to in Rennes' relatively inexperienced back three.
In Slot's frame, Jacquet's composure, athleticism and passing ability should, at least over time, fit very well. — karlsen
