Liverpool splash £70m on Jacquet as potential Konaté replacement
The Reds continue their spending spree with a massive outlay on Rennes' young French defender Jérémy Jacquet, who'll join in summer as Konaté's future remains uncertain.
Liverpool’s spending spree shows no signs of slowing down as they’ve agreed a £70 million deal for Rennes’ promising young defender Jérémy Jacquet.
Big Money Move
After splashing nearly £483 million last summer on six players including Isak, Wirtz, and Ekitike, the Merseyside giants have once again dipped into their pocket for another French talent. The 18-year-old centre-back has caught the attention of several Premier League clubs, with both Arsenal and particularly Chelsea showing strong interest before Liverpool swooped in.
Jacquet, who hails from Bondy (the same Paris suburb that produced Kylian Mbappé), is already a France U21 international despite his tender age. He made his Ligue 1 debut at just 18 years and six months, and has since accumulated 31 first-team appearances for Rennes, including a spell on loan at Clermont.
Summer Arrival
Despite the January agreement, Liverpool fans will need to be patient. The right-footed defender won’t be heading to Anfield immediately - instead, he’ll complete the season with Rennes before joining Liverpool in the summer on a five-year contract.
This arrangement gives his current manager, Habib Beye, a few more months to work with the talented youngster. Beye told L’Équipe: “I want to maintain my best players and have the strongest possible team.”
Konaté Replacement?
The timing of Jacquet’s signing raises interesting questions about Ibrahima Konaté’s future at Liverpool. The current French international’s contract expires at the end of the season, and there’s been no announcement regarding an extension.
Many Liverpool supporters will be wondering if this massive investment is a sign that the club is preparing for Konaté’s departure. The similarities between the players - both French centre-backs with impressive physical attributes - suggest Jacquet could be viewed as a direct replacement.
Liverpool’s brass clearly rate Jacquet highly to invest such a significant sum in a teenager with relatively limited top-flight experience. If he fulfills his potential, this could prove to be money well spent, but it’s another example of the club’s willingness to splash the cash for promising talent.