Liverpool signing Jeremy Jacquet was on PSG’s radar long before his agreed move to Anfield.
Now dubbed the next best centre-back coming out of France, Jacquet wasn’t always viewed in such a positive light.
He has grown in stature at Rennes this season, and was wanted by some of Europe’s biggest clubs before Liverpool struck a deal for the 20-year-old.
Jacquet will arrive at Liverpool at the end of the season, hopefully recovered from shoulder surgery that threatens to keep him sidelined for the remainder of his time in France.
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Rio Ngumoha of Liverpool running during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC and Atletico de Madrid at Anfield. Trey Nyoni in action during Liverpool's pre-season friendly against Athletic Bilbao at Anfield. Kieran Morrison during Liverpool v Crystal Palace - Carabao Cup Fourth Round.
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But it’s not his chequered past of health problems that cooled the Parisians’ interest when he was an academy prospect.
PSG had concerns about Jeremy Jacquet’s technical ability at youth level
Jacquet has come a long way in the past few years. The hype around him is real.
A 6’4″ powerhouse defender, Jacquet is just behind Virgil van Dijk in the top five in Europe for aerial duel win %.
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But he is also a solid passer and a centre-back who is extremely comfortable carrying the ball. At age 14, that facet of his game wasn’t so eye-catching.
As a former PSG scout told La Parisien: “PSG hesitated between him and Sékou Doucouré, whose profile was more in line with the club’s vision for the future.
Jeremy Jacquet arrives before Spain v France - UEFA European U19 Championship Finals
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“Jacquet had talent, but he seemed less technically ready.”
Doucoure would prove to be the wrong choice. He never entered the first-team picture at PSG, and now plays for Nantes. The scout goes on to point out the wide margin for error that comes with assessing talent that young.
PSG likely won’t lament the missed opportunity too much. They are champions of Europe after all.
A possible PSG vs Liverpool rematch
Liverpool gave PSG their toughest challenge of the Champions League knockouts last season.
The fact that it had to happen so early on was a shame, but there’s a chance we do meet them again further down the line.
This version of PSG is not as dominant as the one that won their first European trophy last season. From the first leg of their play-off against Monaco, you could see plenty of flaws.
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They went two goals down early, and while they did mount a comeback to come away 3-2 winners, a better team would have punished them.
Liverpool aren’t quite the side they were last season either, but both teams have the quality to really kick on in the latter stages of the competition. A rematch would be somewhat daunting, but also exciting to see if the Reds can put last year’s loss right.
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