France World Cup winner Christophe Dugarry has labelled Liverpool 'suckers' for splashing £60million to sign Jeremy Jacquet.
However, European football expert Andy Brassell has argued that the fee is indicative of where the transfer market is right now.
Liverpool unveil £60million deadline day signing Jeremy Jacquet
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Liverpool fended off competition from Chelsea to sign Jacquet from Rennes
Liverpool completed the biggest deal of deadline day by fending off competition from Chelsea to land Jacquet on a long-term contract.
talkSPORT understands that the Reds have agreed an initial £55m to sign the defender, with a further £5m to be paid in potential add-ons.
The Frenchman has now eclipsed the £52m fee spent by Manchester City on Jeremy Doku to becomes Rennes' record sale.
Yet his countryman Dugarry took a dithering view of Liverpool making Jacquet their second most expensive defender ever behind Virgil van Dijk, having made just 55 first-team appearances.
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Liverpool ‘suckers’ for Jacquet transfer
On the RMC radio show ‘Rothen s’enflamme’, Dugarry – who won the World Cup with France in 1998 – described the fee as ‘ridiculous’.
He said: "This isn’t meant to offend the player, honestly, he’s not to blame at all, and we wish him all the best because he’s a good player.
"But when you have suckers like that… well done to Rennes.
"Rennes managed to find a sucker like Liverpool that was [willing to pay] €70million (£60m)."
12 July 1998 Fifa World Cup Final - France v Brazil - Emmanuel Petit (right) celebrates after scoring the third goal for France and hugs Patrick Vieira, they are joined by Christophe Dugarry (21), Franck Lebouef (18) and Bixante Lizarazu (3)
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Dugarry (left) was part of the France team that won the World Cup on home soil in 1998Credit: Getty
New Liverpool player Jeremy Jacquet
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Jacquet was signed for £60m but heads straight back to Stade RennaisCredit: Getty
'Where the market is at the moment'
Trans Europe express regular Brassell took a different view, and instead pointed towards the fees spent by Liverpool's rivals.
In 2024, Man United paid £52m for Leny Yoro, with Chelsea spending £37m to bring Jorrel Hato to Stamford Bridge last summer.
On Jacquet, Brassell told talkSPORT.com: "He's got enormous potential. There's no doubt about that.
"And of course, we've had the likes of Christophe Dugarry in France going, this is mad paying this much money for a player who has 30-odd team games behind him.
"You just have to recognise, whether you understand it or not, that is where the market is at the moment.
PARIS, FRANCE - NOVEMBER 7: Jeremy Jacquet of Rennes and teammates celebrate the victory following the Ligue 1 McDonald's football match between Paris FC and Stade Rennais FC (Rennes) at Stade Jean Bouin on November 7, 2025 in Paris, France
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Rennes were congratulated for receiving a record fee for the young centre-backCredit: Getty
"The fact is that elite clubs would rather pay money for excellent young players that they think are going to change into or develop into the absolute crack level of tomorrow than they would for players who are already in their prime now.
"Part of that has got to be the finances of it and the fact that they've got some sort of resale value. That has to be part of it."
Liverpool have been in the market for a new centre-back for over a year, and missed out on a last gasp deal for Marc Guehi in August.
Teenager Giovanni Leoni arrived from Parma for £26m amid suggestions he is seen as a long-term successor to Van Dijk.
But the 19-year-old Italian suffered an ACL injuryon hisdebut for the clubin September and is unlikely to feature again this season.
New signing Jacquet also won't play for the Reds this campaign, with his Liverpool transfer not official until July 1.
MONACO, MONACO - JANUARY 31: Jeremy Jacquet of Stade Rennais warms up before the Ligue 1 McDonald's match between AS Monaco FC and Stade Rennais FC at Stade Louis II on January 31, 2026 in Monaco, Monaco
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Jacquet, who has five caps for France U21s, has made 18 Ligue 1 appearances this seasonCredit: Getty
The France U21 international had been heavily linkedwith Chelsea, before being swayed to make the move to Merseyside.
His compatriot Ibrahima Konate is out of contract at the end of the season and as it stands will end his five-year stint with the club.
"In terms of a football move, I think it makes a lot of sense because it feels to me like Liverpool would have sold him on the succession plan," Brassell added to talkSPORT.com.
"The fact that Konate will probably be gone in the summer, the fact that Virgil van Dijk is edging out of his prime, I think it is fair to say.
"So there's an opportunity, and of course they brought in Leoni for the future as well last summer, although he's been held up by his injury.
"There is an opportunity to, at one of the biggest clubs in the world, make yourself a space in the XI, not just the squad."
London City Lionesses CEO Martin Semmens hailed Giovanni Leoni as the successor to Virgil van Dijk
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London City Lionesses CEO Martin Semmens helped sign Leoni for Parma from SampdoriaCredit: talksport
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 23: Giovanni Leoni of Liverpool receives medical treatment to an injury before being substituted off during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Southampton at Anfield on September 23, 2025 in Liverpool, England
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But the 19-year-old's first game was cruelly ended by a serious injuryCredit: Getty
Liverpool's other options
Giving talkSPORT's Inside Liverpool YouTube show the scoop, The Athletic's James Pearce explained how the deal was completed.
“Things moved really fast with the Jeremy Jacquet deal over the weekend. Liverpool have long since monitored his progress. He caught their eye initially when he was part of the France team that reached the final of the U19s Euros in 2024 in Northern Ireland.
“He was subsequently named in the team of the tournament. He then had a decent loan spell when he was at Rennes. That propelled him into the senior set-up there on his return. He's just gone from strength to strength.
“All the data that Liverpool obviously rely heavily on when it comes to recruitment pointed out that he was fast being regarded as one of the most gifted young centre-backs in European football.
“Especially with the fact that Liverpool knew that Chelsea were in discussion. It was kind of now or never, really.
“So at the weekend, Sporting Director Richard Hughes stepped up those discussions, managed to do the deal with Rennes.
“I think it was pretty non-negotiable. Liverpool would have loved to have got him now, but that wasn't an option. Rennes wanted the rest of the season.
“They were only prepared to do a deal now for him to join another club in the summer. Liverpool managed to beat Chelsea to his signature because of the pathway they set out to him.
“They see him coming in and playing a big, big part. Initially next season, competing for a place alongside Van Dijk.”
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Slot did not bring in any senior players despite the well publicised injury problems affecting his back line.
Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are out for the rest of the season, while Joe Gomez, Jeremie Frimpong and Ibrahima Konate have been in and out with injury issues.
Speaking on talkSPORT's Inside Liverpool show, former boxer Paul Smith said: "If anything was to happen, god forbid, to Konate or Van Dijk then we're down to the bare bones. We're talking about the likes of Endo or Gravenberg having to play centre-half."
Liverpool did look at options for short-term cover, with talks ramping up about getting in Lutsharel Geertruida on loan.
Geertruida is currently at Sunderland on loan from RB Leipzig.
Pearce added: “They did look at a number of potential stop gaps.They were never going to just buy a body, and pay £10m to £15m for a defender who might do half a job between now and the end of the season.
Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool
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Konate and Van Dijk are Liverpool's only fit centre-back pairing right nowCredit: Getty
“Then you're kind of like thinking what do we do with him come the summer? That's not how Liverpool do business. But they did look at short-term options.
“Geertruida was certainly the most likely one. There was a time on probably Sunday morning when, from the people I spoke to, there was a feeling that that may well have happened. Geertruida himself wanted it to happen.
“Sunderland were open to the idea of cancelling his loan, that they had the agreement in place with Leipzig.
“Leipzig were open to loaning him to Liverpool for the rest of the season. Slot knows him very, very well from their time together at Feyenoord and he really admires his versatility because he could have done a job for Liverpool at right-back, centre-back, even holding midfield if needs be.
“In the end, it just was too complex because Sunderland made it clear they needed to get a replacement in.
“By the late afternoon Sunday, it was pretty obvious that Sunderland were up against it and wouldn't be able to get who they wanted in order to be able to sanction the termination of his loan.
“So that was effectively that. So I don't sense there's a lot of unease among the fan base about the fact they didn't bring in someone immediately. I share that to a degree.
“It was a positive weekend getting Konate back. Frimpong is only out for a couple of weeks away and Joe Gomez should be available for the Man City game on Sunday.
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“So it just feels like a bit of a gamble to me that they are thin back there and they just really need some good fortune in terms of keeping people fit now.”