Rennes’ Jeremy Jacquet is acquired by Liverpool for £55 million.
Jeremy Jacquet, a defender for Rennes, has been signed by Liverpool. He will make his debut for the team on July 1. The 20-year-old has agreed a contract at Anfield until 2031 with the option of a further year after a deal worth £55million plus £5m in add-ons was struck between the two clubs.
He will officially move in the summer with Liverpool moving quickly to sign a player they believe can be a big piece of a significant squad rebuild that started last summer with the signings of Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Milos Kerkez.
Liverpool also pursued centre-back Marc Guehi last summer before he opted to join Manchester City in January.
The Premier League club view Jacquet as being a more valuable long-term acquisition than Guehi in their model hence the push to sign him this month.
Jacquet came through the youth ranks of Rennes and has featured for France up to to under-21 level at international level.
“The starting points to become an elite defender” By Liverpool correspondent Andy Jones
Jeremy Jacquet’s size is the first thing that strikes you about him. He appears physically prepared for a move to England despite only being 20 years old. The second is his defense strategy. When he plays for Liverpool, he will need to be aggressive, on the front foot as much as possible, and willing to play in a high line. The 20-year-old uses his 6ft 2in frame and his speed to defend space and cover ground quickly. It also plays a role in his penalty box defending as he can recover and demonstrate his awareness and anticipation.
In possession, the youngster is comfortable and confident. He has the vision and bravery to punch line-breaking passes through opposition set-ups. Jacquet can also switch play to either flank and carry the ball forward himself.
Adaptation will be required. He has been dominant aerially in Ligue 1, but the physicality of the Premier League has gone to another level. There will be lessons learnt and bumps along the road as is the case with most young defenders, so it may take a bit of time before he can replicate the aerial success he has had in France.
He is not the finished article, but he has talent and a lot of the raw ingredients that, if developed correctly, could turn him into an elite defender in the years to come.
How can Liverpool afford another big deal?
At £55million, Jeremy Jacquet’s arrival represents another hefty outlay in the transfer market after a summer in which Liverpool spent over £400m on new players.
How can Liverpool afford it?
Firstly, their summer spree came on the back of a season in which they banked record revenues — £702m, making them the highest earning English club for the first time in living memory.
That should only continue after new deals, including a kit manufacturing agreement with Adidas.
And even though their wage bill went over £400m in 2024-25 for the first time, their proportion of wages to revenue actually dropped due to the income growth. It was at a six-year low of 60% last season. They are also now good sellers, moving on Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Jarell Quansah and several more last summer for nearly £200m.
Those sales will have lopped a chunk off the wage bill. All of which is to say that spending a further £55m on Jacquet remains within the confines of what Liverpool can reasonably do.
