Jeremy Jacquet has barely had time to settle at Anfield, yet the 21-year-old has already made himself a fixture in Liverpool’s back line.
One of Liverpool’s best players so far this season has been Jacquet, with the Frenchman starting each of the club’s five games across all competitions.
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Much of that form has come alongside captain Virgil van Dijk. Jacquet has forged a strong relationship with the Dutchman at the back and has also shown his ball-playing ability on several occasions for his new club.
His performance in Liverpool’s goalless draw with Fulham on Saturday stood out in particular.
Jacquet was forced into a goal-line clearance after Alisson Becker was caught in possession, denying Fulham’s Gonzalo Garcia.
He finished the match with a Sofascore rating of 8.5, recording five recoveries and two clearances, and won every aerial duel he contested.
That form has not gone unnoticed. Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge has been full of praise, rating him as a better player at this stage of his career than Ibrahima Konate was at the same age.
Not everyone is getting carried away.
Former Liverpool defender Gregory Vignal has urged caution, pointing to a tougher outing against Nottingham Forest and calling for the youngster to be allowed to progress quietly without added pressure.
That progress has now reached the France national team set-up.
Ahead of the upcoming international break, Jacquet has been named in a provisional France squad, with L’Equipe reporting the news.
France, like Liverpool, are entering a new era. Zinedine Zidane was appointed France’s new coach in late July, replacing Didier Deschamps, who stepped down after the 2026 World Cup ended in disappointment for Les Bleus.
With William Saliba unavailable, Zidane needs another top defender to help marshal his back line alongside the usual suspects.
Saliba has been sidelined for an extended period with a back injury sustained during the World Cup, and remains without a fixed return date.
Jacquet is one of several uncapped players on Zidane’s expanded list. Esteban Lepaul, Lucas Da Cunha, Andy Diouf, Pablo Pagis and Ismaelo Ganiou also feature, alongside Brighton’s Olivier Boscagli and Sunderland’s Enzo Le Fee, as the new France staff widen their search to French talent playing in England.
Jacquet joined Liverpool from Stade Rennais this year.
Liverpool agreed a deal worth up to £60 million, paying a fixed fee of £55 million plus up to £5 million in add-ons, with the transfer completed at the start of July after Jeremy Jacquet finished the season with Rennes.
Zidane’s provisional list must still be trimmed before he names his final squad on 18 September. Should Jacquet survive the cut, it would mark his first senior call-up for France, having represented the country only at Under-21 level to date.
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