<\/p>\n
Given the unforgiving nature of his position, it’s no surprise there have been some mistakes.<\/p>\n
Jacquet has made three errors leading to shots, with only seven players in the French top flight making more.<\/p>\n
Describing his style of play to L’Equipe, via Ligue 1, Jacquet said: “I’m calm on the ball, maybe I can look a bit nonchalant – but I’m focused. What defines me is playing out well, breaking lines with the right pass.”<\/p>\n
He was named in the Under-19 Euros team of the tournament in 2024 and has represented and captained France at youth level. That alone tells you about his leadership qualities.<\/p>\n
And he was born in Bondy, the Paris commune where Kylian Mbappe and William Saliba came from.<\/p>\n
Given the price tag, there will undoubtedly be a sense of expectation when Jacquet arrives. With Italian Giovanni Leoni also returning from an ACL injury in the summer, the Liverpool<\/a> backline could look very different come the start of next season. <\/p>\n The understanding is Jacquet was convinced by the Liverpool<\/a> project, as opposed to Chelsea<\/a> where the proposition was less attractive, given they have two other elite young defenders in the squad in Josh Acheampong and Mamadou Sarr.<\/p>\n As it stands, both Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate are out of contract at Liverpool<\/a> this summer, while captain van Dijk, 34, and Joe Gomez’s contracts expire in 2027.<\/p>\n A move now would not have been wise because it’s unlikely Jacquet would get in ahead of Van Dijk and Konate this season. At Rennes, who are pushing for a place in Europe, he will continue as a regular starter and benefit from getting more playing time in Ligue 1.<\/p>\n For Jacquet, the challenge between now and the summer is to prepare for life in the Premier League. He is by no means a finished product and Rennes’ 4-0 defeat at Monaco on Saturday showed the margins where he can improve, especially when it comes to decision-making when stepping out of the defensive line.<\/p>\n It is worth noting that two of the biggest recent transfers from Ligue 1 to the Premier League have found it challenging, with both Manchester United<\/a>‘s Leny Yoro (\u00a352m) and Manchester City<\/a>‘s Abdukodir Khusanov (\u00a334m) finding their respective early stints tough.<\/p>\n