Liverpool agreed a £60m deal to sign Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet on deadline day, with the 20-year-old set to join in the summer
MONACO, MONACO - JANUARY 31: Jeremy Jacquet of Stade Rennais in action during 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. (Photo by Neal Simpson/Allstar/Getty Images)
Jeremy Jacquet playing for Rennes(Image: Neal Simpson/Allstar, Getty Images)
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Liverpool will be securing one of Europe's most coveted young talents when Jeremy Jacquet moves to Anfield this summer. The Reds came out on top in the battle to sign the Rennes defender in the final knockings of the winter transfer window, pipping Chelsea to his signature after the Blues appeared to be frontrunners in the pursuit of the 20-year-old.
He will remain in France for the remainder of the campaign, with the £60m transfer having been wrapped up on the condition that he stayed with Rennes temporarily. Things haven't quite gone to plan for the Ligue 1 side, though, with a shoulder injury potentially ruling Jacquet out of the remainder of the season.
Had circumstances played out differently, Jacquet might have already been featuring in the Champions League with reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain. Not only that, but he might have already caused Liverpool some discomfort.
As a 14-year-old, Jacquet caught the eye of PSG, with the French powerhouse having monitored him while he was at boyhood club RC Joinville. However, PSG ultimately chose to pursue other targets.
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"PSG hesitated between him and Sekou Doucoure, whose profile was more in line with the club's vision for the future," a former member of PSG's youth department told Le Parisien. "Jacquet had talent, but he seemed less technically ready."
Jacquet subsequently joined Rennes, with Liverpool set to reap the benefits. This also meant they dodged the prospect of facing him in last season's Champions League meeting with PSG, though Luis Enrique's side still prevailed in a penalty shoot-out victory at Anfield before going on to win the competition.
Paris Saint-Germain's French forward #10 Ousmane Dembele (L) and Rennes' French defender #97 Jeremy Jacquet fight for the ball during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Stade Rennais FC at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on December 6, 2025. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP via Getty Images)
Jacquet in action for Rennes against PSG(Image: FRANCK FIFE, AFP via Getty Images)
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There is one aspect the Reds will likely monitor closely from Rennes' assessment of the defender as a teenager, namely that a shoulder injury impacted him even then. Reds boss Arne Slot will be hoping it doesn't become a persistent issue as he prepares to welcome Jacquet to Anfield.
"When I first saw him in Joinville, there weren't many clubs interested in him," former Rennes scout Khaled Gaarba revealed. "I asked to see his father, Dominique, who ran the club's refreshment stand. He was the spitting image of his son: tall, with long legs.
"He injured his shoulder before he even touched the ball. Jeremy was gutted, but we immediately reassured him by explaining that if he was there, it was because we believed in him. He came back for a training camp at the end of the season, this time at 100 per cent fitness, and after developing further, that's when he won everyone over."
That shoulder injury might prove concerning, with Jacquet having experienced a recurrence in Rennes' recent 3-1 loss to Lens which could rule him out for much of what remains of the campaign. Habib Beye, who managed the defender at Rennes before moving to Marseille this week, described the problem as "serious" to leave Slot and Liverpool playing a waiting game when it comes to the long-term consequences of the injury.
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