When Liverpool agreed to spend £60m on Jérémy Jacquet, there was always going to be pressure on the young French defender.
That’s a lot of money for a 20-year-old centre-back who had only made 33 senior appearances for Rennes.
There was also the shoulder injury he suffered in February, which ruled him out for the remainder of last season.
So there were plenty of reasons for Liverpool supporters to be patient.
But watching Jacquet now, I’m starting to think Liverpool may have got something very interesting on their hands.
He looks like he belongs.
And that’s probably the biggest compliment I can give him.
Jacquet wasn’t brought to Liverpool to sit around and wait for his opportunity. He arrived with the expectation that he would have to help fill the huge gap left by Ibrahima Konaté, who moved to Real Madrid, and he has been thrown straight into Premier League football alongside Virgil van Dijk.
That’s not an easy introduction.
Yet his performances have become one of the most encouraging parts of Liverpool’s season.
The Bournemouth game really stood out to me.
Liverpool won 1-0, but it was the defence that deserved most of the credit. Jacquet was named Player of the Match after producing an excellent performance, with his positioning, interceptions and a crucial last-ditch block helping Liverpool keep Bournemouth out.
And there was more to his performance than simply defending.
Jacquet had 71 touches and completed 54 of his 61 passes, including 10 that Opta classified as line-breaking passes.
That’s something I really like about him.
He doesn’t look like a centre-back who simply wants to get rid of the ball.
He wants to play.
He wants to step forward.
He wants to find players between the lines.
And that’s exactly what Liverpool need from their defenders in a team that wants to dominate possession.
What has impressed me most, though, is how comfortable he looks next to Van Dijk.
That’s not an easy job either.
Van Dijk has been Liverpool’s defensive leader for years and whoever plays alongside him has a huge responsibility.
Jacquet doesn’t look overwhelmed by it.
If anything, he seems to be learning from it.
He spoke before joining Liverpool about how much he wanted to learn from Van Dijk, describing the Dutchman as one of the best centre-backs in the world. Now he’s actually getting to train and play alongside him.
You couldn’t really ask for a better classroom.
And Liverpool appear to be getting the benefit already.
The Reds have put together three consecutive Premier League clean sheets, with Jacquet becoming an increasingly important part of a defence that looks much more settled than it did earlier in the season. The Guardian also highlighted his growing partnership with Van Dijk after the Bournemouth win.
That’s a big development for Liverpool.
Because while we’ve spent plenty of time talking about Isak, Wirtz, Gakpo and the other attacking players, the defence has quietly become one of the strongest parts of this team.
Alisson is still Alisson.
Van Dijk is still Van Dijk.
Ronald Araújo has given Liverpool another very physical option, particularly at right-back.
And now Jacquet is starting to look like somebody Liverpool can build around.
That’s exciting.
He’s only 21.
He’s still learning the Premier League.
He’s still adapting to the pace and physical demands of English football.
Even Iraola admitted that Jacquet initially found the change of rhythm difficult, with the defender suffering from cramps and tiredness in his first games. But the Liverpool manager also said he is adapting well.
And that’s exactly what you’d expect from a young player coming into a completely different league.
The important thing is that we’re already seeing the improvement.
There is something else about Jacquet that I think Liverpool fans are going to appreciate.
He looks competitive.
He doesn’t seem frightened of getting stuck in.
He wants to win the ball.
Former Liverpool midfielder Ray Houghton recently praised his competitiveness and tackling, while also comparing some of his qualities with previous Liverpool centre-backs such as Van Dijk and Alan Hansen.
I’m not going anywhere near the idea that Jacquet is already at the level of those players.
That’s ridiculous.
Van Dijk has been one of the world’s best defenders for years, while Hansen is a Liverpool legend.
But you can understand why people are getting excited about Jacquet.
There are similarities in the way he wants to defend and the way he wants to use the ball.
And £60m suddenly doesn’t look quite as frightening as it did when Liverpool agreed the deal.
The fee is officially an initial £55m with a further £5m available in performance-related add-ons.
That’s still a huge amount of money.
But Liverpool weren’t buying a finished product.
They were buying potential.
And the early signs are very encouraging.
For me, the biggest question now isn’t whether Jacquet is good enough to play for Liverpool.
It’s how good he can actually become.
That’s a very different question.
If he continues improving alongside Van Dijk, gets stronger physically and becomes more accustomed to Premier League football, Liverpool could have themselves a centre-back who is capable of being a key player for years.
And that’s why I think this signing could become very important.
Liverpool have spent big money on attacking players.
They’ve spent big money on rebuilding the squad.
But sometimes it’s the defensive signing that ends up making the biggest difference.
Jacquet has already helped give Liverpool something they desperately needed — a young centre-back who looks capable of stepping straight into the first team without looking completely out of place.
There will be bad games.
There will be mistakes.
There will be moments when he looks like a young defender learning his trade.
That’s football.
I’m certainly not going to start calling him the next Van Dijk after a handful of games.
But I am starting to get excited about what Liverpool might have signed.
Because watching Jacquet at the moment, I don’t see a £60m player trying to justify his price tag.
I see a young defender who looks increasingly comfortable wearing a Liverpool shirt.
And if that’s the beginning rather than the finished article, Liverpool might have made a very good investment indeed.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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