Liverpool have managed to pip a number of rivals to the signature of Rennes wonderkid Jeremy Jacquet.
The 20-year-old is set to complete his medical with the Premier League side ahead of a summer move for an initial fee of around £55million. Chelsea appeared to be favourites to sign Jacquet to deal with their defensive issues, but the Frenchman was swayed by a stable project at Liverpool.
He’d have first-team opportunities with the Reds, something that no doubt played a part in his decision having turned down a move to Arsenal last summer.
It helps, of course, that two of his idols happen to be Liverpool players — Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate. Jacquet may be coming in to replace Konate, with the 26-year-old out of contract in the summer. But there’s also a world in which the Rennes man plays alongside both centre-backs at Anfield.
The question is, why are Liverpool preparing to spend up to £60m (after add-ons) for a 20-year-old with just 36 Ligue 1 appearances to his name? After all, Liverpool are a club notorious for looking to conduct what they deem to be smart business.
Why Liverpool are signing Jacquet:
A special talent
Liverpool clearly view Jacquet as a special talent. It’s easy to understand why.
Despite not turning 21 until July, Jacquet has serious leadership qualities and has captained France at youth level. He’s adapted seamlessly to life in Ligue 1 with Rennes despite their inconsistent performances as a team. The centre-back has been used in a variety of roles, playing on the right side of a back three, the left side as well as the middle centre-back. Each position comes with different roles and responsibilities. Yet he looks comfortable and confident in all of the centre-back positions.
Standing 6’2″, Jacquet looks like a good physical fit for the Premier League. He’s quick and his gangly legs give him an advantage in certain situations. He puts his frame to good use too.
Competent in duels
Jacquet has won 62% of his ground duels in Ligue 1 this season, also making 1.5 tackles per 90 minutes. He’s a bit of a juggernault in the air too, winning 76% of his 2.8 aerial duels per 90. He’ll have to scale his volume here to deal with the rigours of the Premier League, with Van Dijk contesting 6.5 per 90 and Konate on 5.5. But Jacquet is in the same sphere as the Liverpool duo in terms of dominance. Van Dijk has won 77% of his aerial duels this season, while Konate has won 73%.
Under Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool looked to bring in physical defenders. With Arne Slot, the profile has altered slightly to focus on their on-ball abilities. It’s why Liverpool looked at Dean Huijsen last summer and also targeted Marc Guehi. Jacquet, however, manages to blend the profiles.
The Frenchman is a physically dominant centre-back who can also pick out a pass. You can’t go as far as calling him a unicorn, but he possesses the profile of a Liverpool centre-back and it’s why the Reds are willing to pay such a big fee for him.
Passing abilities
On the ball, Jacquet has a higher pass success rate (91%) than Konate (87%) and Van Dijk (90%) as well as one-time target Guehi (89%). Jacquet attempts a similar number of passes on a per 90 basis as Konate and Guehi (60), but falls short when compared to Van Dijk (79). The Rennes man does compare well to Van Dijk when looking at long-pass success though with both finding a teammate over 50% of the time.
The important thing here, though, is the volume. Jacquet is used to seeing a lot of the ball. So he won’t look out of place in a ball-dominant side like Liverpool. The Reds have had the most possession of any team in the Premier League this season. He’s even a surprise ball-carrier too, completing over 50% of his attempted take-ons.
Jacquet ticks boxes galore for Slot’s side. He’s got the potential to develop alongside Van Dijk and turn into the one of the best in Europe.