Jeremy Jacquet has signed for Liverpool, and the center-back has filled the hole that Ibrahima Konate left.
Konate left Liverpool this summer to join Real Madrid, which left the Reds short at the back. Virgil van Dijk is staying with the club, but the Reds needed a reliable partner for him. Liverpool will likely field Jacquet alongside Van Dijk with Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez on either side.
Liverpool also have Giovanni Leoni at the club, but the Italian suffered a cruciate ligament tear on his debut. The injury the center-back suffered in the EFL Cup match against Southampton meant that Leoni missed the rest of last season.
Joe Gomez is remarkably still an option for Liverpool in defense. He has been with the club since 2015, but is often linked with moves away from Anfield. AC Milan and Besiktas are reportedly interested in the player.
Liverpool will feel like their biggest weakness, in defense, has at least been strengthened with the addition of Jacquet. Now, Liverpool can field a solid starting back four, with an eye on adding further depth to bulletproof the former hole.
Who is Jeremy Jacquet?
Jacquet is a 20-year-old center-back who is a France Under-21 international. He came through the ranks at Rennes and played for them 31 times in all competitions. Last season, he helped the club finish sixth in Ligue 1, which qualified them for the Europa League. Whilst with Rennes, Jacquet also spent time on loan at Clermont Foot, whom he represented in France's top flight as well as Ligue 2.
He has recently been linked with all the top clubs. This includes Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, and Manchester United. Therefore, it is a real coup that Liverpool have been able to sign him. It remains to be seen how he will adapt to the Premier League. However, at 6 ft 3, Jacquet should be able to handle the physicality of English soccer.
Concerns about Jacquet are that he missed the second half of last season with a shoulder injury. After Leoni's injury, Liverpool fans will be worried that they have signed another injury-prone defender. Also, when Rennes did play Paris Saint-Germain last season, they lost 5-0, with Jacquet being sent off.
Jacquet has also not come cheaply, with Liverpool paying a reported £60 million for his services. The Reds spent astronomical fees last summer capturing the likes of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz. However, not many of their transfers paid off.
Liverpool finished last season in a disappointing fifth place, which was an abysmal attempt at defending their Premier League title. This cost Arne Slot his job, and he has been replaced by Andoni Iraola, who has just done a very good job at AFC Bournemouth. Liverpool fans will be hoping new signings such as Jacquet can help the Reds get back to challenging for the title.
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