By Basant El-Faramawy
Liverpool's summer signing Jeremy Jacquet has justified the club's £60 million investment with an immediate impact at centre-back, starting every Premier League and Champions League match this season.
Instant adaptation and playing time
The 21-year-old French defender has played 956 minutes across all competitions, second only to goalkeeper Alisson (990) among Liverpool outfield players. His rapid adaptation has surprised senior club figures, especially considering he missed most of the previous year with a broken shoulder in February and a summer knee injury. Jacquet made his debut in a pre-season friendly against Como, scoring at Anfield a week before the league campaign began.
Defensive statistics and clean sheets
Jacquet has kept four clean sheets in the Premier League and ranks fourth in the division for interceptions (15) and blocks (10). He also leads Liverpool teammates with 19 tackles. His first league start came at Newcastle's St James' Park, where he completed more accurate passes and successful final-third passes than any other player in the first half despite an early concession.
France call-up under Zidane
Strong club form earned Jacquet a first France call-up under manager Zinedine Zidane, with a debut against Italy this month. Zidane praised the defender repeatedly: "Very good. Very, very good. Brave. He wasn't afraid to come out a long way. Very good in the duels." Jacquet hails from Bondy, the same Paris suburb that produced Kylian Mbappé and William Saliba.
Transfer background and Chelsea interest
Liverpool accelerated their pursuit in January after missing out on Leny Yoro, who joined Manchester United. Chelsea were also keen and rated Jacquet highly internally, but the player chose Anfield. Former sporting director Richard Hughes waited until summer for the move, with Rennes unwilling to sell in January. Journalist Julien Laurens described Jacquet at the time as "arguably the best centre-back of his generation."
Partnership with Van Dijk and development
Playing alongside Virgil van Dijk and Ronald Araújo has accelerated Jacquet's development. Van Dijk, the only Liverpool defender to cost more than Jacquet, said their relationship improves daily through games, training, and off-pitch conversations. "He's doing very well. Let's see where the ceiling will be. I don't think he's there yet so let's keep going," Van Dijk added. Jacquet also takes English lessons with teammates Bradley Barcola, Victor Muñoz, and Araújo, and lives in Liverpool alongside young academy players Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni.
