Liverpool manager Arne Slot has expressed strong enthusiasm over the club’s capture of highly rated French-Ivorian defender Jeremy Jacquet, with the Dutch tactician already anticipating the youngster’s arrival at Anfield at the end of the season.
The Premier League champions beat fierce competition, including Chelsea, to secure the services of the 20-year-old in a deal reportedly worth £60 million, inclusive of performance-related add-ons.
Although Liverpool have successfully completed the transfer, Jacquet will remain at Rennes until the conclusion of the current campaign, following the French club’s insistence that the promising centre-back continues his development in Ligue 1 before making the switch to England.
The arrangement has done little to dampen excitement within the Merseyside club, where Jacquet is viewed as a key investment in the team’s long-term defensive stability.
Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s heavyweight Premier League clash against Manchester City, Slot openly shared his admiration for the player’s qualities and potential impact.
“Very pleased, of course, because first of all, he is a very big talent – and maybe even more than ‘only’ a talent, but we speak about talent because of his age, of course,” Slot said.
Jacquet’s acquisition is regarded as another statement of Liverpool’s evolving recruitment strategy, which has prioritised securing elite young prospects capable of contributing both immediately and in the future.
The club’s ability to outmaneuver other European heavyweights in the race for Jacquet is seen internally as validation of their scouting network and transfer planning.
“Second of all, because we weren’t the only ones interested in him. So another big compliment for the people that are working every single day, so hard, to sign players that we were able to sign such a big talent,” Slot added.
The Liverpool boss also highlighted how Jacquet fits seamlessly into the club’s broader football philosophy. “It is another example of the model we are using at this club. Young, very talented players, sometimes at the start of their careers, sometimes already a few years in, but always players that are young and can improve us and help us for the short but definitely also for the long term.”
As Liverpool continue to compete at the highest level domestically and in Europe, the signing signals the club’s commitment to sustaining success through calculated investment in emerging stars.
Jacquet is expected to join a squad already blending youthful promise with established experience, reinforcing Slot’s confidence in the club’s trajectory.
“We’ve signed a lot of them recently and I’ve said many times that the mid-to-long-term future, but even the short-term future, of this club is in a very, very good place,” Slot said.
