How will Liverpool’s $76-million Jacquet fit for Arne Slot’s future?

He is barely 20 years old and has just over 50 appearances at the top level, but Jérémy Jacquet is now officially the seventh most expensive transfer in Liverpool’s history.

Liverpool invest in Jacquet

Little known to the wider public – although social media may appear full of instant experts – the French center back, a France Under-21 international, will be the Reds’ first signing for the 2026–27 season. He arrives from Stade Rennais, where he will remain until the end of the current campaign. The English club moved quickly to secure his signing amid strong interest from other Premier League heavyweights, with Chelsea also tracking him.

Liverpool have committed a fixed $65 million, plus a further $11 million in performance-related add-ons.

The end of Konaté at Anfield?

Jacquet’s arrival at Anfield – a project for the present but even more so for the future – further clouds the outlook for Ibrahima Konaté’s continuity at the club next season. The current Liverpool defender’s contract expires in June, and there has so far been no progress in renewal talks. Weeks ago, Real Madrid withdrew from the race to sign him on a free transfer. If he does leave, an experienced CB would surely be desired to support the younger players’ development.

The uncertainty is compounded by the signing of Giovanni Leoni last summer for $33 million, another center back for the future, just 19 years old, who suffered a serious injury on his debut as a Red and will effectively be a “new addition” for next season. Some who have watched his development closely have likened him to Italian defensive legend, Paolo Maldini.

Liverpool building the future

The Leoni–Jacquet partnership is widely tipped to succeed Virgil van Dijk at the heart of Liverpool’s defense once the Dutchman’s contract expires in June 2027. Jacquet, a physically imposing defender with a powerful stride and strong tackling ability, has played 19 games for Stade Rennais this season, all of them starts. A Rennes academy product, the new Liverpool defender has gone, in the space of a year, from playing in Ligue 2 with Clermont on loan to making the leap to the Premier League.

Jacquet is the latest blockbuster sale by Stade Rennais, a club that has previously cashed in on players such as Jérémy Doku ($65m), Désiré Doué ($54m), Ousmane Dembélé ($38m), and Eduardo Camavinga ($33m). His move now stands as the most lucrative sale in the club’s history.

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