Liverpool settle on long-term centre-back target after deadline frustration | OneFootball

Liverpool have agreed a deal in principle to sign Rennes centre-back Jeremy Jacquet in the summer transfer window, with the total package expected to reach around £60m.

The move comes after Saturday’s 4-1 win over Newcastle United, which highlighted Liverpool’s attacking potential but also underlined how stretched the squad has become in defensive areas.

According to Paul Joyce of The Times, Rennes have been seeking around £55m plus £5m in add-ons for the France Under-21 international, with Liverpool now pushing to secure him ahead of Chelsea.

It places the fee firmly in the bracket of a long-term investment rather than a short-term patch.

Why Liverpool are moving now for Jacquet

Picture via @staderennais on X

The logic behind this move is clear because injuries and contracts have combined to leave the back line exposed.

Conor Bradley is out for the season with a knee injury, Jeremie Frimpong is injured again and cannot be relied upon to play every week, and Joe Gomez has continued to struggle for availability.

Wataru Endo and Dominik Szoboszlai have both been required to fill in defensively in recent matches, which underlines how thin the squad has become across the back four.

There is also a longer-term issue, with Ibou Konate entering the final months of his contract and Virgil van Dijk now 34, while Andy Robertson’s deal also expires at the end of the season.

That context explains why Liverpool appear willing to commit close to £60m on a 20-year-old defender who will not arrive until the summer but fits the profile of a defensive rebuild that is becoming unavoidable.

Sky Sports reported on Sunday that Liverpool had already opened talks with Rennes and that competition from Chelsea was expected, which framed Jacquet as a priority target rather than a speculative name.

Arne Slot’s comments after the Newcastle win also pointed in this direction.

“So that is what noise here is in Liverpool. I think we are trying to strengthen the squad and not trying to weaken it,” Slot said.

That approach is now reflected in this agreement, even if it does not provide immediate help during the final months of this campaign.

What Jacquet brings to Liverpool’s defence

Picture via @staderennais on X

Jacquet’s numbers from Ligue 1 suggest consistency rather than flash, which is exactly what Liverpool are lacking in depth right now.

Below is a snapshot of his league performance this season, via SofaScore.

Those figures underline why Rennes value him so highly and why Liverpool see him as a long-term solution rather than a quick fix.

He is 191cm tall, strong in the air, and comfortable in possession, which aligns with the type of centre-back Liverpool have targeted in recent seasons.

There will be concern among some supporters that this does not solve the immediate shortage of defenders for the rest of this season, especially after talks for Lutsharel Geertruida fell through.

However, in the bigger picture, this deal signals that Liverpool are finally starting a defensive rebuild that has been delayed by injuries and contract uncertainty.

Spending around £60m on Jacquet is not about rescuing this campaign, but it is about ensuring that next season does not begin with the same structural problems at the back that have started to define this one.

Join our channel of readers on WhatsApp to get the day’s top stories straight to your mobile