Liverpool have officially completed the signing of Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes for a fee of up to £60m
Jeremy Jacquet has hinted at why he snubbed a move to Chelsea – with Virgil van Dijk playing a huge role in his £60million move to Liverpool.
The centre-back’s switch from Rennes, which was agreed back in January, was officially confirmed on Wednesday.
The Reds are expected to pay an initial £55m with a further £5m in add-ons, making him the second most expensive defender in Anfield history, behind only Van Dijk, who arrived from Southampton for £75m in January 2018.
Jacquet sustained a season-ending shoulder injury shortly after his summer transfer was agreed on deadline day earlier this year, but the 20 year old has since completed his recovery, meaning he will be immediately available to Andoni Iraola.
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The Liverpool Echo has revealed that Jacquet has put pen to paper on a five-year deal with the option of a sixth, as he prepares to battle for a starting berth alongside Joe Gomez, Giovanni Leoni and club captain Van Dijk, who is expected to feature in the summer tour of the United States following the Netherlands’ exit from the World Cup at the round-of-32 stage on Monday.
“I feel really good, the first impressions are good and I am very happy to start here,” Jacquet told Liverpoolfc. com.
“I am very happy. When I see the facilities, I can see myself there. I feel good here and I am very excited to get started. For me it’s a big dream, it’s a big club. A club like Liverpool, it’s a big dream for me.”
Liverpool saw off interest from numerous European clubs during the winter transfer window, particularly Chelsea, and it’s believed the young defender is keen to learn from two-time Premier League champion Van Dijk, who celebrates his 35th birthday this month.
Jacquet added: “Of course, I am very excited to be next to a great player like [Van Dijk]. I think he is up there with the best centre-backs in the world currently, so I can only learn from him. I don’t like to use the word ‘idol’, not even for the best players I admire, but naturally he’s a player I look up to.
“For me, he is one of the best central defenders and if I want to reach the very top, I’ve got to absorb as much as I can from him, obviously.”
Jacquet suffered an awkward fall in the second half of Rennes’ 3-1 loss to Lens in Ligue 1 in early February and departed the field in clear discomfort before it was subsequently confirmed he would require surgery.
Nevertheless, having undergone the operation a few weeks following the injury, Jacquet has returned to training during his summer break, following a personalised training programme ahead of his arrival at the AXA Training Centre later this month.
Jacquet’s arrival at the club coincides with Real Madrid officially completing their capture of Ibrahima Konate, who departs Liverpool on a free transfer. The Merseyside club had been in negotiations with the defender’s representatives for nearly two years but failed to reach an agreement, allowing the France international to join the Spanish giants without a fee.
