Opta explains what Liverpool are really getting with Jeremy Jacquet | OneFootball

Liverpool’s agreement for Jeremy Jacquet has been analysed by Opta Analyst, with the data-led verdict suggesting we are buying a defender who already matches several of the traits Slot values most.

That matters because, even after the 4-1 win over Newcastle at Anfield, we still look short defensively in the short term, while the club continues planning for the next cycle of this squad.

Opta’s focus is simple: Jacquet, the 20-year-old French centre-back, looks built for what Liverpool want to become again, but we will not get the benefits until the summer.

Opta Analyst wrote: “Liverpool have secured a deal for Rennes centre-back Jeremy Jacquet, though the 20-year-old will not move to the Premier League until the summer.

“But what will the Reds eventually be getting?”

What Opta thinks Liverpool are getting with Jeremy Jacquet

Picture via @staderennais on X

Opta frames Jacquet as an aerially dominant defender who is also comfortable when his team have the ball for long spells.

That combination is not accidental, because Slot’s Liverpool tend to control possession and ask defenders to defend high space while still starting attacks.

Opta also underlined the current shortage at the back, writing: “With Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong, Giovanni Leoni and Joe Gomez all out injured, Liverpool are short on defenders.”

In that context, the timing is the obvious frustration.

There has also been confusion online about whether Jacquet has already “joined” and been loaned back, which is not how this deal is being described from France.

A French update has stated: “Jeremy Jacquet is not on loan from Rennes to Liverpool. FIFA authorized a permanent transfer agreement signed in January with a contractually fixed effective date of July 1.”

That is why Jacquet remains legally and sportingly a Rennes player for the rest of this season, even if Liverpool have secured the move.

Opta said Jacquet has won 75.5% of his aerial duels in Ligue 1 this season, and it also described him as a front-foot defender who anticipates danger early, even if the same analysis notes that young defenders can iron out errors with experience.

Jacquet’s Rennes numbers show why Liverpool backed the upside

Picture via @staderennais on X

Sofascore’s season data backs up the broad shape of that Opta scouting profile.

Jacquet, the 191cm Frenchman wearing squad number 97 for Rennes, has started 18 Ligue 1 matches and averaged 89 minutes, which tells you how trusted he has been despite being 20.

He is also posting strong duel numbers, with 76% aerial duels won per game, plus a 91% pass completion rate, which fits the idea that Liverpool are signing a defender who can cope with possession football.

Here is a quick Sofascore snapshot.

There is still a debate around the fee, and that is where the conversation gets louder.

Former France international Christophe Dugarry has branded Liverpool ‘suckers’ over the price, calling it “ridiculous” and warning that it could put pressure on the player, even while stressing Jacquet is not to blame.

That criticism is part of the backdrop to this deal, because it underlines how high the expectations will be when Jacquet finally arrives.

For us, the reality sits in the middle.

Jeremy Jacquet looks like a modern centre-back who can win aerial duels, defend on the front foot, and still play through pressure, which is exactly why Opta’s analysis reads like an endorsement.

At the same time, the short-term issue does not go away, because a summer signing cannot solve a February injury crisis.

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