Liverpool reached an agreement to sign the young French star from Rennes after the player passed his medical on the final day of the mid-season transfer window, 2/2. Jacquet will continue to play for the Ligue 1 club for the remainder of the season before moving to Anfield on 1/7 this year through a long-term contract.

The reigning premier league champions could pay a total of 82 million USD, including 75 million USD fixed and approximately 7 million USD in add-ons based on performance.

Rennes center-back Jeremy Jacquet challenges PSG forward Ousmane Dembele during a Ligue 1 match at Parc des Princes, Paris on 6/12/2025. Photo: AFP

Sky Sports reported that Chelsea had also made a similar offer. However, in the final 48 hours of the transfer window, Jacquet changed his mind after seeing Mamadou Sarr return to Stamford Bridge and Josh Acheampong decide to stay at Chelsea. He believes he will have more opportunities to play at Liverpool, where the defense is currently thin, rather than joining a club with an abundance of young center-backs like Chelsea.

Manager Arne Slot currently faces a challenging personnel issue at Liverpool. Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are the only two fit first-team center-backs, while Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni are both injured. Konate's future is also uncertain as his contract expires at the end of this season.

Jacquet has made five appearances for the France U21 team and is a key player for Rennes, featuring in 18 league matches this season. Since his debut in 1/2024, he has played 31 matches for the Roazhon Park club, in addition to gaining experience in Ligue 1 on loan with Clermont Foot last season. In 2024, Jacquet played a significant role in leading France U19 to the UEFA European Under-19 Championship final and was selected for the team of the tournament.

French football expert Julien Laurens considers Jacquet a "bargain" for Liverpool. "Despite being only 20 years old and not having played in the Champions League, he is an exceptional talent", he told Sky Sports. "Jacquet reminds me of William Saliba or Wesley Fofana when they first broke through in France. You might have to pay a lot of money for a young player who hasn't proven much, but with Jacquet, you can't go wrong".

Born in 2005, Jacquet stands 1,88m tall. Statistics from the current French league season show that the center-back leads in aerial duel win rate at 75,5%. In the premier league this season, Liverpool's Van Dijk and Konate hold the top two positions in the same statistic, with 77,3% and 73,3% respectively.

"Jacquet possesses all the qualities of a modern center-back: good on the ball, impressive passing vision, strong physicality, and excellent aerial ability", commented Sky Sports pundit Kevin Hatchard. "Rennes' insistence on keeping him until the end of the season highlights Jacquet's importance. Manager Habib Beye even stated that if they let him go now, the team would have to lower its season objectives".

Meanwhile, Paul Merson, another Sky Sports expert, questioned why Liverpool did not bring Jacquet to Anfield immediately, instead of waiting until the end of the season given their thin defense. "Liverpool needs a center-back right now to compete for a top 4 or top 5 finish. It's a good signing, but with such a large sum of money, I don't understand why they let him stay in France for another half a year. Liverpool should have brought him in immediately", Merson emphasized.

Ha Phuong (according to Sky Sports)