The ECHO spoke to Luke Entwistle of Get French Football News for the inside track on new Liverpool signing Jeremy Jacquet
12:22, 04 Feb 2026Updated 13:55, 04 Feb 2026
Liverpool have completed the signing of Stade Rennais defender Jeremy Jacquet.(Image: Getty Images)
Jeremy Jacquet was Liverpool’s only senior signing of the winter transfer window, agreeing to join the club from Rennes on deadline day for an initial £55million fee plus up to £5m in add-ons.
Liverpool beat Chelsea and Manchester United to sign the promising 20-year-old centre-back. However, supporters will have to wait until pre-season to see Jacquet play for the Reds, with the player to see out the campaign at his current club as Rennes push for a European spot.
With Jacquet only having made 32 senior appearances to date for the Ligue 1 outfit, and yet to earn his first cap for France, many fans won’t yet have seen him in action at all.
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That’s why we reached out to France-based football writer and editor-in-chief at Get French Football News, Luke Entwistle, to get a clearer view of what to expect from Jacquet when he eventually joins up with his new team-mates.
Along with running his own outlet covering the French game, Luke has contributed to BBC Sport, the Independent and the Guardian, and previously spoke to the ECHO about one-time Liverpool target Khephren Thuram.
What can Liverpool fans expect from Jeremy Jacquet? Are there any players he reminds you of in his style of play?
I think you could expect a confident defender, someone who is composed on and off the ball and who has an excellent reading of the game, well beyond his years.
Given his age, he is not flawless and there are errors, but he isn’t an indecisive player and he plays with conviction. In terms of play-style, he perhaps reminds me a bit of Raphael Varane, who of course also broke through in Northern France and got a bit move early doors.
His gait is also reminiscent of the former Real Madrid (and Manchester United) defender, which perhaps visually evokes the comparison, but there are definitely similarities in play style beyond that.
Jeremy Jacquet’s playing style has been compared to former Manchester United defender Raphael Varane(Image: Getty Images)
The numbers speak for themselves when it comes to Jacquet’s aerial ability – 75% aerial success rate in Ligue 1 – but what other attributes define him as a player?
His reading of the game is his biggest asset. When he is at his best – and Rennes are at their best – he is rarely playing on the limit. He is not a last-ditch defender, even though he has that in his locker, too, but that we rarely see that side of his game is testament to the way that he anticipates moves and the way that they develop.
Would you say he’s more of a proactive or reactive defender? More Ibrahima Konate or Virgil van Dijk?
Despite his height, I don’t see him as an imposing a figure as Van Dijk, nor as physical, although that can change. It is easy to forget that he doesn’t even have one season in the top flight under his belt.
I see him as more reactive, which is enabled by Habib Beye’s three-man defence. He is someone who reads the game and shuts down danger rather than being the one to always push up into midfield.
Was there ever any suggestion that Rennes could have allowed Jacquet to leave in January for a higher fee?
It seems, judging by what was coming out of the club, both in terms of briefing and from Beye himself, is that a loan was a requisite for any deal being completed.
Rennes are in contention to return to Europe for the first time in a few seasons and Beye has already confirmed that his job depends on it, so they want all of their most important players to stay.
Rennes have a great record with their academy. Where does Jacquet rank for you among the pantheon of recent graduates?
It remains to be seen! Rennes’ academy products are always judged by what they do away from the club. Like (Desire) Doue, (Eduardo) Camavinga, etc. the move away has come very quickly.
It is difficult to create a hierarchy, especially given the variety of profiles, but in Desire Doue, I see a potential future Ballon d’Or winner and of course Ousmane Dembele did recently win the Ballon d’Or himself.
What does this record sale mean for Rennes in terms of sustainability given the current crisis in French football, or are there fears Rennes will struggle to attract the calibre of player required to replace him?
There is no question of Rennes being able to replace him with a signing. Rennes are one of the richest clubs in Ligue 1 thanks to their mega-wealthy owners, but like all Ligue 1 clubs (bar PSG), if you’re going to replace a player of that calibre, you’ll have to develop him yourself.
Rennes really aren’t in that precarious a position relative to most clubs, but when a club-record fee arrives on the table, they still aren’t in any position to turn that down.