Liverpool have beaten Chelsea to the signing of Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet in a deal worth £60 million, landing one of the most wanted young centre-backs on the market.
The move has been viewed as a major win for Liverpool in the January window, with Jacquet regarded as a top-level talent and a player ready to make the step up into the Premier League right away.
Chelsea had been in the race for the 21-year-old, but Liverpool moved ahead and got the transfer over the line, completing what many see as a serious coup. The deal also underlines Liverpool’s intent to refresh their back line with a defender who has already shown he can handle high-level pressure.
Jacquet arrives from Rennes with a growing reputation for his calm defending, strong reading of the game and the type of physical presence clubs want at the heart of a modern defence. Liverpool’s recruitment team have backed him to develop into a key piece of their long-term plans, and the size of the fee shows just how highly the club rate him.
For Chelsea, missing out on Jacquet is a setback after investing heavily in young talent in recent windows, but Liverpool were the side who acted quickest and most decisively to close the deal.
Jacquet now heads to Anfield with big expectations, as Liverpool look to make their January business count and secure a defender they believe can make an impact immediately and for years to come.
