Is 'special talent' Jacquet the future of Liverpool's defence?

Liverpool have secured a key pillar as they look to build formidable defensive foundations for the future. Jeremy Jacquet has agreed to join the Reds from Rennes in a £60m transfer on deadline day.

The 20-year-old Frenchman will have to wait for his Liverpool debut though, as he will not join up with his new club until the summer. He is a key player for the Ligue 1 side already, making 18 top-flight appearances this season.

That Liverpool are prepared to wait for the player says a lot, especially given the defensive issues they've endured this season. For the defending Premier League champions, who have conceded 33 goals from their 24 games, this is a transfer with the long-term in mind.

Reds continue to spend big

Nevertheless, there will be pressure on Jacquet.

Even by Liverpool's recent spending standards - they splashed out about £450m on new recruits in the summer transfer window - the deal is a pricey one.

At £60m, Jacquet's fee doesn't quite top the world-record for a centre-back - still Harry Maguire to Manchester United for £80m - but it is among the highest paid for players of a comparable age.

In 2023, Manchester City signed then 21-year-old Josko Gvardiol for £77m, which remains the highest fee for a centre-back aged 21 or younger. Wesley Fofana's transfer to Chelsea in 2022 at the same age (£70m) and Matthijs de Ligt's move to Juventus in 2019 when he was 19 (£67.5m) are the only others in that category to cost more than Jacquet.

So there will be expectation. But two of the other biggest transfers from Ligue 1 to the Premier League in recent years could serve as cautionary tales.

Leny Yoro (£52m) and Abdukodir Khusanov (£34m) have found their respective early stints at Manchester United and Manchester City tough.

Frenchman is a force in the air

That's not to say that Jacquet doesn't have the attributes to thrive in the Premier League. The centre-back's physical qualities and natural defensive instincts are what have made him so appealing to Liverpool.

His strength in the air has been a standout this season, winning 75.51% of his aerial duels. That is the highest among all defenders in Ligue 1 in 2025–26, with only his former attacking team-mate Mohamed Meite successful in a greater proportion.

In the French top flight, Jacquet ranks third in overall duel success rate at 67.23% and joint-seventh for blocks, with 15 this season.

Given his age and the unforgiving nature of his position, it's no surprise that there have been some mistakes. Jacquet has made three errors leading to shots, with only seven players in the French top flight making more.

Beyond the numbers, Liverpool will be encouraged by the personality already shown by such a young player.

He has captained France at under-16, under-18, under-19 and under-20 level. Even in his previous outing for Rennes - a disappointing 4–0 loss to Monaco - he showed fight in his performance and at full-time, when he confronted a member of the opposition staff.

No Jacquet required… for now

Liverpool were keen to start their centre-back evolution in the summer. But the process stalled.

The Reds wanted Marc Guehi, but a deal could not be completed before the summer window closed.

Giovanni Leoni also arrived from Parma, only for the Italy youth international defender to suffer an anterior cruciate ligament injury. It ended his season before it started.

Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté's previously dominant partnership has begun to creak this season too. The former has been imperious for the Reds and, while he is tied down for at least another season, he's now 34 and will not go on forever. Konate, meanwhile, is slowly battling back to form after a torrid start to the campaign and is out of contract in the summer.

French football expert Julien Laurens believes Jacquet "has everything to become one of the best defenders in the world", external. With some huge shoes to potentially fill this summer, Liverpool will hope he's worth the wait.