Jeremy Jacquet explains why he chose Liverpool over Chelsea in January, ahead of his £60m move in July
Jeremy Jacquet is set to join Liverpool from Rennes.
Jeremy Jacquet is set to join Liverpool from Rennes.(Image: Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
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Jeremy Jacquet says the chance to work with Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate led him to choose Liverpool over Chelsea in January.
The centre-back will officially complete a £60m move from Rennes on July 1 after a deal was struck late in the January window, when the Reds held off interest from the Londoners.
Jacquet, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Ligue 1 shortly after the terms of his move were finalised, is expected to be fit for this summer's pre-season schedule.
And in an interview in his homeland, he revealed why Liverpool was the club for him, saying the chance to learn from captain Van Dijk and France international Konate was too good to turn down, also admitting there was more competition for a place in the first team at Stamford Bridge.
"I'll be 21 in July," Jacquet told Ouest-France. "For me, there's the sporting project and the personal project. At my age, I prioritise the sporting side. I don't have my own family yet.
"I'm focused on football. I spoke with the management; the club's history weighed heavily on my decision, but so did the project they offered me.
"At Chelsea, I felt there were quite a lot of [other] people. Whereas at Liverpool, apart from the fact that Virgil van Dijk is nearing the end of his career, training with him is going to be huge.
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"He's going to teach me so much. There's also Ibou Konate, who can help me settle in. Training with guys like that, it doesn't get any better than that."
Liverpool moved quickly to secure the terms with Rennes at the end of the January window and the £60m agreement means Jacquet overtakes Paris Saint-Germain star Desire Doue as the Ligue 1 side's record sale.
On what was a particularly busy few weeks for the defender at the turn of the year, Jacquet added: "It was quite a hectic January.
"People around me told me I stayed pretty focused. But it's true that the week of the Lens match went by incredibly fast.
"Especially since we had a string of big games, including a midweek cup match (in Marseille), then the signing, the shoulder injury.
"I didn't feel overwhelmed, but at one point, when a lot of things came out, I was inevitably thinking about them a bit on the pitch.
"Honestly, a lot of false things have been said. My brother and I were like: 'Where did that come from? I never said that.'
"It was the first time I'd seen my name associated with it on social media like that.
"But anyway, it means clubs are interested in you. And as for my decision, I won't say it was a quick one, because I took my time with this big step. But I quickly saw myself at Liverpool.
"I heard they arrived at the last minute, but that's not true. I'd been talking to them for a long time. There were other clubs too."
Jacquet has signed a five-year deal with Liverpool, with the option of an additional 12 months and will be on the club's pre-season tour of the United States in July.