Liverpool's New Signing Jeremy Jacquet Impresses Across All Areas

Liverpool invested £60 million in Jeremy Jacquet, fully aware that some projection was involved. Seven games into his career at Anfield, those projections are gaining weight.

As reported by Andy Jones from The Athletic, Jacquet joined Liverpool after a tough period with injuries. A shoulder injury followed by a minor knee issue left him sidelined for 190 days before the club’s final pre-season game against Como. At only 21 years old and with just 57 senior appearances behind him, patience seemed necessary.

Yet, Jacquet has quickly adapted and shown ease fitting into Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool.

Jacquet Embodies Iraola’s Defensive Style

The 1-0 win at Bournemouth revealed much about Jacquet’s strengths. He intercepted an attack near his own box, pushed forward to release Bradley Barcola, then linked up with Alexander Isak. Moments later, he made another interception that led to a scoring chance.

This eagerness to defend high up the pitch is key under Iraola. Centre-backs must step out aggressively to keep Liverpool compact and enable the press further up. Jacquet appears naturally suited to this role.

His duel success rate in the Premier League sits at 76.3%, only surpassed by Everton’s James Tarkowski among defenders playing over 300 minutes. His aerial duel success rate is also strong at 76.9%.

Van Dijk Urges Caution Amid Early Praise

“He’s had a great start, but it’s only September,” Virgil Van Dijk said after the Bournemouth match. “I want him to keep working and learning. There’s been a lot of praise, and rightly so, but I know how it goes when you have a game below your standards. So let’s stay calm and keep working.”

Photo: IMAGO

Iraola also highlighted Jacquet’s physical progress. “He’s still very young and adapting well to the Premier League. Early on, physically he felt the faster pace — finishing matches tired and cramping, so we subbed him off. Today was a step forward; he stayed solid and finished strong physically.”

Passing Skills Transform Liverpool’s Build-Up Play

One of Jacquet’s standout traits is what happens once he wins the ball. The Athletic emphasizes his ability to turn defensive stops into attacking moves, something Liverpool sometimes missed with Ibrahima Konate.

So far, Jacquet has completed 57 passes into the final third, ranking third among Premier League defenders, and recorded 76 line-breaking passes, sixth highest in the league. This blend of physicality, reading of the game, and progressive passing explains why France has already promoted him to Zinedine Zidane’s senior squad.

Nobody expects a 21-year-old centre-back to be the finished article this early, but Liverpool needed Jacquet to develop rapidly after Konate’s move to Real Madrid. He’s done more than just hold his ground.

Anfield Index Perspective

Watching Jacquet is genuinely exciting because Liverpool fans can already see qualities that usually take much longer to emerge in a young defender. His performance at Bournemouth felt crucial. Defending aggressively, carrying himself with confidence, and importantly, looking ahead once Liverpool regained possession.

That last point might prove very important. While Liverpool benefit from Van Dijk’s passing range, Jacquet adds another centre-back who can break lines. Opponents cannot simply target one defender and force Liverpool into predictable build-up. His 57 final-third passes and 76 line-breaking passes show this is becoming central to his game.

The partnership with Ronald Araujo is also notable. Liverpool has kept three straight Premier League clean sheets with Araujo at right-back, limiting Ipswich, Fulham, and Bournemouth to under 0.80 expected goals each match.

Most encouragingly for fans is how fast worries about centre-back have faded. Challenges remain with tough fixtures against Manchester City, Brentford, Brighton, and Arsenal after the international break. Those games will reveal more.

For now, Liverpool’s £60 million bet on Jacquet looks more and more justified. He has begun as if determined to claim this position.