Liverpool has signed Jeremy Jacquet for £60 million ($80.5 million), but the 21-year-old admits the transfer fee "adds pressure" as he questions whether he will be worth the price tag
Samuel Meade
09:11, 28 May 2026
Liverpool is set to welcome Jeremy Jacquet this summer
Liverpool is set to welcome Jeremy Jacquet this summer(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool signing Jeremy Jacquet acknowledges his £60 million ($80.5 million) valuation "adds pressure" as he pondered whether he would ultimately justify the investment.
The promising defender was strongly pursued by Chelsea during the January window, but at the last minute, the Reds intervened to capture the Rennes talent. He stayed in France before his arrival in Merseyside this summer, where substantial expectations will accompany him, given his transfer fee.
Jacquet weighed up both clubs, but eventually concluded that Liverpool's prestige, combined with reduced center-back competition, persuaded him to choose red over blue, though he recognizes he's arriving with considerable expectations.
The 21-year-old, who arrives for an initial £55 million ($73.8 million) with the rest coming in add-ons, still possesses relatively limited professional experience, but maintains he has the "minimum resources" to arrive at Liverpool and deliver an impact as the club seeks to move past a challenging campaign under Arne Slot.
He told French newspaper Ouest-France: "I won't say it [his decision] was a quick one, because I took my time with this big step, but I quickly saw myself at Liverpool. I'll be 21 in July.
"For me, there's the sporting project and the personal project.
Jacquet will get the chance to play alongside Virgil van Dijk
Jacquet will get the chance to play alongside Virgil van Dijk(Image: Getty Images)
"At my age, I prioritize the sporting side. I'm focused on football. My agent told me there were two choices: either go to a mid-table club or skip the step altogether.
"Initially, we were leaning towards a mid-table club. But then I told him: 'If the biggest clubs in Europe are interested, we're not going to turn them down. They're there for a reason.'
"I spoke with the management; the club's history weighed heavily on my decision, but so did the project they offered me.
"Promising young players command quite high prices, and of course, that adds pressure: Am I worth that price or not?
"I think I have the minimum resources to go there. I'm going there to play as much as possible."
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Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate remain the club's preferred defensive pairing, though both faced challenges this campaign, which resulted in the Reds shipping 53 goals in the league.
Nevertheless, Jacquet remarked: "The fact that Virgil van Dijk is nearing the end of his career, training with him is going to be huge."
Joe Gomez's future remains uncertain, while last summer's center-back acquisition, Giovanni Leoni, 19, has yet to establish himself following a season-ending knee injury sustained on his debut last year.