Liverpool set to lose star for pre-season after brutal surgery | OneFootball

Liverpool are set to be without a star for pre-season after a brutal need for surgery.

Liverpool signed Jeremy Jacquet back in January but the deal won't formally complete until the summer. This is one for the future, with Jacquet pinpointed as a potential superstar.

Maybe even a Virgil van Dijk successor?

That's the dream and why Liverpool were willing to drop £60m on a player who hasn't really got all that much experience. The raw tools are there for Jacquet to reach the absolute highest level, though.

But things are off to a bad start. One that will likely cost Jacquet some, if not all, of his pre-season.

Jeremy Jacquet: Situation Summary

In February 2026, Liverpool finalised a deal to sign the 20-year-old centre-back from Stade Rennais for a total package of £60 million (£55 million upfront plus £5 million in add-ons). The transfer was structured so that Jacquet would remain at Rennes for the rest of the 2025/26 campaign before officially joining Arne Slot’s squad on 1 July 2026. This arrangement was reportedly designed to help Liverpool adhere to Premier League profit and sustainability rules (PSR) following their £450 million outlay in the summer of 2025.

Season-Ending Injury

On 7 February 2026, only days after his transfer to Liverpool was confirmed, Jacquet sustained a serious injury to his left shoulder during Rennes' 3-1 defeat to Lens. After weeks of medical evaluations and pain tests aimed at avoiding an operation, Rennes and Liverpool medical staff reached a joint decision this week that surgery is the only viable route to a full recovery. The procedure, scheduled for early March, effectively ends his season, meaning he has likely played his final match for Rennes.

Recovery and Pre-season Outlook

Liverpool’s medical team will oversee Jacquet’s rehabilitation program, which is expected to take between three and six months. While some specialists have warned that a full return could take until late summer, the club remains optimistic that he will be fit to participate in the 2026/27 pre-season. Jacquet is viewed as a high-potential talent—having recorded 19 interceptions and 91 clearances in 18 Ligue 1 appearances this season—and is expected to compete for a rotational role alongside Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté upon his arrival at Anfield.