With the new Premier League season starting this weekend, a lot of eyes from a Liverpool perspective will be on summer signing Jeremy Jacquet.
The France Under-21 international joined the Reds from Rennes. Pressure will be on the former Ligue 1 player to perform. At 6 ft 2, Jacquet should have the physicality to play in the top flight of English football.
Jeremy Jacquet could make his first Liverpool start against Newcastle United
The Reds open their Premier League game with a trip to St James' Park to take on Newcastle United. It is expected that Jacquet will start alongside Virgil van Dijk against the Magpies.
Jacquet will face competition from Ronald Araujo, who is on loan from Barcelona, for a starting spot this season. Jacquet played from the start and scored in Liverpool's final pre-season game against Como. His performance against Cesc Fabregas' side was praised by Ryan Gravenberch. However, Araujo did come on for Jacquet at half-time.
Van Dijk, as Liverpool's captain, played 90 minutes against the Serie A side. He is now 35, but still one of the best centre-backs in the world. Liverpool's other centre-backs, Giovanni Leoni and Joe Gomez, are both currently injured.
Where could Jacquet play in Liverpool's starting XI?
It is expected that Jacquet will play alongside Van Dijk in a centre-back partnership. Andoni Iraola favours playing a 4-2-3-1 formation. Also, Liverpool only has three fit senior centre-backs. Therefore, it would be unwise to play a back three.
Jacquet is an out-and-out centre-back, so it is unlikely that he will be deployed at full-back or defensive midfield for Liverpool. He is right-footed, but can play either left-centre-back or right-centre-back.
Why Liverpool signed Jeremy Jacquet
Liverpool needed a new centre-back after Ibrahima Konaté left the club to join Real Madrid this summer. Both Gomez and Leoni are injury-prone, so a reliable defender was needed for the Reds.
Jacquet is only 21 and is one of the highest-rated young defenders in the game. He has huge potential, and Liverpool beat off other top clubs when they agreed to sign him in February on a pre-contract deal ahead of a summer transfer.
The defender was linked with the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich before Liverpool secured his services.
Who could make way for Jacquet against Newcastle?
In Liverpool's final Premier League game of last season, Konaté started alongside Van Dijk at centre-back. The Frenchman was replaced by Gomez late on. With Konaté now at Real Madrid, Jacquet should slot in nicely alongside Van Dijk.
Jacquet has got Konaté's old number five shirt at Liverpool, so he is a fitting replacement for his countryman.
Liverpool predicted lineup vs Newcastle
Jacquet will have experience alongside him; not only will he be partnering Van Dijk, but Alisson will be behind him in goal. Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez are both attacking full-backs. Therefore, Jacquet will likely have to switch across often to cover for them.
Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai will both want Jacquet to feed them the ball often. If Jacquet needs to hit a long pass, then Alexander Isak can run onto the ball. This could be an effective tactic, especially as Isak is up against his former side.
Florian Wirtz will want to create space in the middle of the park. Rio Ngumoha and Cody Gakop are the wide options, so Jacquet will have the option to play long passes to them, too. Newcastle should be a good first test for Jacquet, especially as they are in a period of transition after losing their manager and many of their top players this summer.
Liverpool predicted starting 11 against Newcastle: Alisson; Frimpong, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Szobozlai; Ngumoha, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak
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