Feyenoord head coach Arne Slot has opened up about a transfer pursuit that slipped away late in the process, describing how the club believed it was close to landing young defender Jeremy Jacquet before another side stepped in.
Slot explained that Feyenoord had done plenty of work on the deal and were confident they were heading toward an agreement. Instead, the move changed course quickly, with the player ending up elsewhere after what Slot called a “hijacked” transfer.
The 19-year-old center back has been on the radar of several clubs across Europe, and Feyenoord saw him as a player with both immediate potential and long-term value. Slot’s comments suggest the Rotterdam club had reached the stage where they felt they were in control of talks, only for the situation to swing in the final moment.
“You think you’re there,” Slot said, outlining how these moves can look settled from the outside while remaining fragile behind the scenes. He pointed to the reality that bigger budgets, late offers or a change of mind from a player’s camp can transform a deal in hours.
While Slot did not go into every detail of the negotiations, his frustration was clear. Feyenoord’s recruitment team has earned praise in recent years for finding talent early and moving decisively, but this was a reminder that even well-planned targets can be lost when the market heats up.
Slot also used the moment to reflect on the wider picture at Feyenoord, stressing that the club must keep building despite occasional setbacks. He highlighted the importance of staying aggressive in the transfer market while continuing to develop players already in the squad.
With Feyenoord competing at the top of the Eredivisie and aiming to strengthen for European football, the missed chance with Jacquet is likely to push the club toward alternative options. Slot indicated that recruitment will continue, and that Feyenoord’s ambitions will not change because one deal collapsed late.
The coach’s message was straightforward: transfers can be unpredictable, but Feyenoord’s plans for the future remain in place—regardless of who “hijacks” the next move.
