Why Jacquet already looks like one of Liverpool’s smartest defensive signings
Six months ago, Liverpool’s £55m deal for Jeremy Jacquet looked, to plenty of outside observers, like a gamble. Here was a 21-year-old arriving from Rennes with barely any senior football to his name, stepping straight into a back line alongside Virgil van Dijk. We weren’t entirely sold on the price tag ourselves at the time. A few months on, we’re happy to admit we were wrong to worry.
According to Sporting Life, Jacquet’s underlying numbers already stand comparison with some of the best defensive performers in the division, which is a notable claim for a player still settling into a new country, a new league and a new partner at the back.
It’s worth remembering how this deal came together. Chelsea had reportedly been circling Jacquet and looked, at one stage, to have personal terms all but agreed. Liverpool moved anyway, met Rennes’ valuation, and structured a deal that let the defender finish the season in Ligue 1 before arriving at Anfield. Liverpool had already shown a willingness to spend big on proven talent, with Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak all arriving with substantial track records, so the fee for a far less proven Jacquet naturally became a talking point.
The numbers back up the eye test
Strip away the reputation and the fee, and the underlying data is what should really catch the eye. Jacquet’s sprint speed, reportedly touching close to 35 km/h, points to serious recovery pace, the kind that lets a defender make up ground when a game breaks open. A league pass completion rate near 89 percent suggests Liverpool trust him to help build attacks from the back rather than simply clear danger.
Defensively, the picture is just as encouraging. Winning around 70 percent of ground duels and 74 percent of aerial contests would be a strong return for an established Premier League centre-back, let alone one six months into English football and still adjusting to a new partner. Those figures explain why Liverpool’s defence has looked notably more settled lately, and why the early uncertainty around the move has eased so quickly.
Van Dijk partnership already clicking
Perhaps the most encouraging sign is how naturally Jacquet has slotted in alongside Van Dijk. Playing next to Liverpool’s captain can be a brutal audition, the standards are set so high that plenty of defenders have looked shaky by comparison in that role. Jacquet, by contrast, looks like he belongs there already. Replacing or partnering a senior figure at the back always carries pressure, especially with a price tag this size attached, and he’s handled that spotlight with a composure that belies his age.
Liverpool’s recruitment is doing the talking again
There’s a broader point here about how Liverpool’s recruitment keeps getting judged. Business at this level tends to get assessed in black and white terms, particularly when a young, unproven player is involved. Struggle early, and the fee becomes the whole story. Adapt quickly, and the conversation shifts to how well the club identified him in the first place. Right now, Liverpool look firmly in the second camp.
There will be sterner tests to come, and it’s still early days in Jacquet’s Liverpool career. Centre-backs tend to get properly judged over full seasons rather than a handful of games. Even so, the early signs are hard to ignore. The athleticism is obviously there, the technical level looks a cut above what the price tag alone suggested to doubters, and the partnership with Van Dijk already looks more advanced than anyone had a right to expect this soon.
It’s easy to see now why Liverpool moved so decisively, even with Chelsea circling. This wasn’t a club chasing hype, it was a club buying a profile they clearly believed in. The biggest compliment we can pay Jacquet right now is that he already looks completely at home at this level, which is no small thing for a young defender carrying a hefty price tag and instant expectations. If this early form really is the floor rather than the ceiling, £55m could end up looking like one of the shrewder pieces of business Liverpool have done in years.