I’m going to say it: Jérémy Jacquet might just be the signing of the summer in the Premier League.
And after watching him against Brentford, I’m struggling to think of many new arrivals who have made a better impression.
Liverpool won 2–1 at the Gtech Community Stadium, coming from behind to take all three points. But while Alexander Isak grabbed the winning goal and Víctor Muñoz scored the equaliser, I thought Jacquet deserved enormous credit for another seriously impressive performance.
The Frenchman looks completely at home in English football already.
He doesn’t look frightened by the physical side of the Premier League. He doesn’t look overwhelmed by the pressure of playing for Liverpool. And he certainly doesn’t look like somebody who needs months to settle in.
He looks like he belongs here.
Thiago tried to make it a battle. Jacquet was ready for him.
One of the things I loved about Jacquet today was the way he stood up to Thiago.
Thiago is an experienced, physical striker who knows how to make life uncomfortable for defenders. He wants to get into their heads, use his strength and turn a contest into a battle.
But Jacquet didn’t appear interested in backing down.
He met the challenge, stood his ground and showed that he isn’t going to be bullied just because an opponent tries to make things physical.
Liverpool’s own match coverage praised his powerful early challenges and highlighted a key intervention to stop Thiago.
That is what impressed me.
There is a difference between being an aggressive defender and being a reckless one. Jacquet looks like he understands how to compete without losing his head.
And that is a valuable quality in a Liverpool centre-back.
We’ve seen defenders struggle when opponents target them physically. They start making rash decisions, get dragged out of position or become too eager to win every individual battle.
Jacquet looks comfortable with that side of the game.
You want to have a go at him? Fine. He’ll have a go back.
This is why Liverpool spent so much money on him
Liverpool reportedly paid around £60 million to bring Jacquet from Rennes, and there were naturally questions about whether such a young defender could justify that investment immediately.
He had made only 33 senior appearances for Rennes before joining Liverpool. On paper, that was a relatively small amount of experience for a player arriving with such a price tag.
But the early signs have been excellent.
Jacquet has settled alongside Virgil van Dijk, looks composed in possession and is willing to defend on the front foot. He has already shown that he can compete physically while also helping Liverpool move the ball forward.
Opta Analyst highlighted his impressive duel numbers, progressive carries and ability to play passes into the final third earlier this month.
That combination is exactly what you want.
A centre-back has to defend first. There is no point being comfortable on the ball if you cannot handle an opponent running directly at you.
But the best defenders offer more than that. They read danger, anticipate passes, win duels and help their team build attacks.
Jacquet is showing signs of being that type of player.
And he’s doing it while still so young.
The best French centre-back in the Premier League?
Now, I know that is a big statement.
There are other excellent French defenders in English football, and Jacquet has only played a relatively small number of Premier League games.
I’m not pretending a handful of impressive performances automatically settle that debate.
But if we’re talking about the impression he’s made so far, Jacquet has every reason to be in the conversation.
He has earned praise from Zinedine Zidane during his first senior appearances for France, and his performances for Liverpool have continued to attract attention.
What I particularly like is that he doesn’t seem to need a spectacular moment to have a good game.
Sometimes a centre-back’s best work goes unnoticed. It’s the early interception that stops a counterattack, the positioning that forces a striker away from goal or the physical challenge that prevents an opponent turning.
Jacquet is beginning to make those contributions look routine.
And alongside van Dijk, he has a fantastic opportunity to keep developing.
Van Dijk has seen just about everything football can throw at a defender. Playing alongside him should help Jacquet learn when to be aggressive, when to hold his position and when to let the game come to him.
Liverpool could have a formidable partnership on their hands.
Liverpool have found something special
The biggest compliment I can give Jacquet is that I’m already comfortable seeing his name on the team sheet.
That might sound obvious, but new signings don’t always inspire that confidence so quickly.
Some need time. Some struggle with the pace of the league. Others take months to understand what their manager expects.
Jacquet has had his own challenges, including an injury setback during the international break, but he has returned and continued to impress.
Against Brentford, he showed the same front-foot attitude that has made him such an encouraging signing.
Liverpool still have plenty to improve, and today’s comeback wasn’t perfect. But Jacquet is one of the reasons I feel positive about the direction of this defence.
He has the physicality, the confidence and the willingness to compete.
And he doesn’t appear to be intimidated by anyone.
For me, Jérémy Jacquet is already one of the signings of the summer.
Is he definitively the best French centre-back in the Premier League? It’s too early to make that call with certainty.
But if he keeps performing like this, Liverpool supporters are going to have a lot of fun watching him develop.
Thiago found out today that Jacquet isn’t somebody you can simply bully.
And I suspect plenty of other Premier League strikers are going to discover the same thing.
Liverpool might have found an absolute monster at centre-back.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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