Jeremy Jacquet has made an excellent start to life at Liverpool, although the Reds' interest in the young defender came about as a result of the pursuit of a completely different player
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 12: Andoni Iraola, Manager of Liverpool, speaks to Jeremy Jacquet during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Liverpool FC and Fulham at Anfield on September 12, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
Jeremy Jacquet has made a superb start under Andoni Iraola at Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool looks to have struck gold with Jeremy Jacquet - but had the club not been interested in another player, it may have ended up missing out on what is increasingly looking like one of the signings of the season.
Jacquet’s stock continues to rise after what has been a superb start to life at Anfield. The 21-year-old has already established himself as Virgil van Dijk’s new center-back partner following the exit of Ibrahima Konate, and now he’s gaining international recognition.
Having only made his debut for France last week, Jacquet has gone on to earn rave reviews for his performances against Belgium and Italy, with Zinedine Zidane particularly effusive about the Liverpool youngster.
The $79 million (£60M) deal Liverpool reached with Rennes back in February is looking increasingly like a superb piece of business, although it only came about as a result of the Reds looking at a completely different player to start with.
As The Times reports, Liverpool was eyeing up Leny Yoro at the start of 2024, and had begun gathering information on the then-Lille center-back when it was informed of another option.
It’s claimed that Jacquet was presented as having not quite reached the same stage in his development as Yoro at that point, but possessing a higher ceiling. As Liverpool continued in its pursuit of Yoro, Jacquet’s name became more prominent in the club’s thinking.
Leny Yoro
Liverpool's interest in Jeremy Jacquet came about as a result of its pursuit of Leny Yoro(Image: 2026 Marc Atkins)
Eventually, Yoro would end up moving to Manchester United, having been “offered promises regarding first-team exposure they [Liverpool] were unwilling to match.” The Red Devils would end up paying the same amount as the Reds did for Jacquet.
The report suggests that Liverpool would have likely continued to track Jacquet even if it had signed Yoro, given the ages of Van Dijk and Joe Gomez. The Reds though will be glad to have discovered the Frenchman during that period though, with Jacquet having now seemingly overtaken his United counterpart in the pecking order for his country.
Reflecting on his start to the season, Jacquet told Telefoot: "Liverpool? Things moved very quickly. We have a good squad, so everything is going well.
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“Van Dijk? Playing alongside him is amazing. Few defenders have reached his level."
Jacquet could earn his third cap later as France faces Belgium again in its final game of the international break. With Dayot Upamecano suspended, the 21-year-old is in the perfect position to further his reputation under Zidane, and potentially push the likes of Yoro and Konate further down the pecking order.
“I used to watch the matches on TV; now I’m part of them,” Jacquet said on his first two caps for his country. “It’s going well, though there’s room for improvement. I’m happy with these first two caps. I’ve always been a calm player on the ball—I just play my game.
"Years of hardship—I haven't had an easy life. So, right now, I’m happy. I’ve had back and knee issues, but I try to look straight ahead. I’m playing for my nation, my country, and under the guidance of Zinedine Zidane."