Liverpool have completed a £60m deal for Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet, who will join in the summer of 2026
Liverpool have completed a £60m deal for Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet, who will join in the summer of 2026
Liverpool have agreed a £60m deal with Rennes to sign centre-back Jeremy Jacquet on July 1. The defender will join on a five-year deal, with the option of a sixth, and will move to Merseyside in time for the start of next season.
The 20-year-old will cost the Reds an initial £55m with a further £5m in add-ons and he will become the second most expensive defender of all time on Merseyside, behind captain , who joined from Southampton for £75m in January 2018.
had faced strong competition from Chelsea for the signature of Jacquet but it is the champions who have won the race after long-standing interest accelerated over the weekend once it was made clear the defender had his heart set on Anfield. It's understood sporting director led on the negotiations.
Jacquet has started 18 of 20 league games for Rennes this season, missing two through suspension, and he has been a key figure for a side who are competing for a European place this term in sixth.
The youngster was keen to stay with les Rennais for the remainder of the campaign to aid with that push.
After the Reds made a breakthrough in talks, Jacquet was in the North West on Monday to complete his medical before returning to his homeland.
The deal is a significant one for Liverpool in the reconfiguration of their defensive department, which started with the £26m capture of 19-year-old from Parma in August.
Speaking on Monday, prior to their Coupe de France fixture with Marseille, Rennes coach Habib Beye said: “It's we could hope for. We negotiated the transfer, obtained the amount that the club looked for, we respected the player’s wish and we have him for the remainder of the season.
"It’s the reality of the market. The club he joins will offer him football and what is currently the best league in the world. We simply don’t have the means to fight.
"We have to see it as a privilege. Rennes could make €100m of profit on two players (Jacquet and Kader Meite, who has joined Al Hilal) who were maybe worth €3m between them six months ago."
With into the final months of his terms, captain Van Dijk set to turn 35 in July and the long-serving Joe Gomez likely to have suitors this summer, Liverpool have been keen to plan ahead at the back.
The Reds believe the signing of Jacquet is a further indication of their commitment to long-term planning after a summer window that saw them reduce the age of the squad significantly by signing the likes of Milos Kerkez (22), Florian Wirtz (22), Hugo Ekitike (23) and Leoni (19).
Liverpool have also added Mor Talla Ndiaye (18), Ifeanyi Ndukwe (17) and Noah Adekoya (19) to their Academy ranks this month, meaning the club have now signed five defenders aged between 17 and 20 in a little over five months.
Ndukwe, who doesn't turn 18 until March, will also link up with his new colleagues in pre-season from Austria Vienna.
The Jacquet deal is the most expensive sale in Rennes' history, eclipsing the £55m agreement struck with Manchester City for Jeremy Doku in 2023.