Who is Jeremy Jacquet? All you need to know about new Liverpool signing, and why he’s not joining yet

Liverpool have been in dire need of defensive reinforcements this season, thanks in part to a significant slew of injuries, a thinning squad, and a few transfer misfires.

The Reds have seen Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni both go down with injuries this season, while Ibrahima Konate also missed time for personal reasons. Add in the transfer whiff of Marc Guehi over the summer, plus more injuries to wide defenders, and the Reds are in significant trouble at the back.

On the final day of the January transfer window, rumours appeared seemingly from thin air that the Reds were on the verge of signing Jeremy Jacquet of Stade Rennes, but the swoop includes an odd quirk given their immediate need at the position.

The Sporting News brings you more about the young French defender, when he will join, and how much Liverpool have shelled out for their new signing.

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Who is Jeremy Jacquet?

20-year-old Jeremy Jacquet is signing for Liverpool from French club Stade Rennes, apparently on his way to England for a medical the morning of transfer deadline day, according to The Athletic and other reports. The transfer was then confirmed by the club later that evening.

Although eligible to play for Guadeloupe, Jacquet is a France youth international who has made appearances at every level of the national team setup, all the way from U-17 up through the U-21.

He has been with Stade Rennes his entire senior career to this point, joining the club’s youth setup in 2019 after beginning as a young boy with local sides AS Outre Mer du Bois l’Abbe and RC Joinville. He dealt with a “growth-related illness” which hampered his development at times, according to French reports.

Jacquet made his professional debut with Rennes in January of 2024, coming off the bench for four minutes in a league match against Nice. After that one appearance, he went on loan to Clermont Foot where he would make 23 league appearances over the next year, returning to Rennes in the winter of 2025 where he established himself as a regular starter, playing every single minute of Ligue 1 action this season before a red card against PSG on Dec. 6 ended that streak.

Jeremy Jacquet transfer fee

Reports claim that Liverpool are prepared to shell out £55 million ($75.1m / €63.6m) for Jacquet, with another £5 million in add-ons possible after that.

While personal terms have not yet been agreed, the reports claim that a deal between the player and his new Premier League club are “not set to be an issue.”

Liverpool have beaten other Premier League clubs to his signature, with Chelsea and Arsenal also linked to the Rennes defender in recent months. Certain reports, including from Fabrizio Romano, claim that Chelsea offered the same transfer fee and personal terms as Liverpool, but the player elected to move to Anfield given the glutton of young centre-backs currently at Stamford Bridge.

How good is Jeremy Jacquet?

There are high hopes for Jeremy Jacquet, as evident by the significant transfer fee Liverpool are paying for his services. “He’s the real deal,” French football journalist Jeremy Laurens said to Sky Sports. “You can’t get it wrong. He is going to be amazing.”

One of the most important features of all players joining Premier League clubs from abroad is physicality, given the characteristics of the English top flight.

Jacquet possesses exceptional quality in that department, with an outrageous aerial duel win rate of 76 percent, as well as a ground duel win rate of 61 percent to go along with it.

There is still a belief that Jacquet is a raw talent needing development, however. Transfermarkt Ligue 1 analyst Ronan Caroff says that “there is still a significant gap between one year of solid Ligue 1 performances and the Premier League.” Even Laurens admits that “he has a long way to go” before being a reliable, everyday Premier League defender.

That is also reflected in his underlying statistics, as while he wins possession at a high rate, he also loses it more than ideal for a defender, giving the ball away around six times per 90 minutes.

When is Jeremy Jacquet joining Liverpool?

While Liverpool need defenders now, that will not be rectified through this signing.

According to Sky Sports, Jeremy Jacquet will not join Liverpool until the summer, set to complete his medical on January deadline day but the transfer will not be finalised until the following window opens in July, according to Fabrizio Romano. He has signed a five-year contract starting July 1, 2026.

Once he arrives, Liverpool have told Jacquet that he will be a “very important player” according to Romano, and that tracks with the club’s current defensive squad standing.

Virgil van Dijk has shown signs of age this season, now 34 years old, and there is little behind the Liverpool captain. Ibrahima Konate is out of contract this season, and Joe Gomez has proven injury prone over the last few years. Young Italian defender Giovanni Leoni was meant to factor in heavily this season, but a torn ACL ruined that plan, and he will need to be brought back slowly from that serious injury. Other than Rhys Williams, who will be returning from a loan spell at Morecambe and unlikely to factor in at Liverpool, there are no other natural central defenders at the club.