Jacquet Says Van Dijk Will Teach Him Much As Liverpool's New Defender Arrives

Jeremy Jacquet says learning from Virgil van Dijk is a major attraction as the defender prepares to complete a 60m ($81m) move from Rennes to Liverpool on 1 July, after turning down Chelsea and other options to join the Premier League club.

The 20-year-old centre-back agreed the transfer in February, with Liverpool seeing off Chelsea’s interest for a player who is set to rank as the 10th-most expensive French footballer in history, and who is expected to compete quickly for significant minutes in defence.

Jacquet explained that the choice between Liverpool and Chelsea took time, yet soon felt clear in his mind, and the defender stressed that the sporting vision and club identity mattered more than any other factor while assessing where to continue a fast-rising career. "I won't say it [his decision] was a quick one, because I took my time with this big step, but I quickly saw myself at Liverpool," he told French newspaper Ouest-France.

The France youth international detailed why Chelsea did not appeal in the same way, and described how Liverpool’s project matched his priorities at 20 years old, with regular high-level football the main target rather than a slower route elsewhere. "At Chelsea, I felt there were quite a lot of people [in his position]. Whereas at Liverpool, apart from the fact that Virgil van Dijk is nearing the end of his career, training with him is going to be huge. He's going to teach me so much. There's also [Ibrahima] Konate, who can help me settle in. Training with guys like that, it doesn't get any better."

Within Liverpool’s current defensive group, Jacquet is expected to rise above Joe Gomez in the central hierarchy, with Gomez facing an uncertain future at Anfield, while Giovanni Leoni remains sidelined by a serious knee problem suffered on Leoni’s Liverpool debut, which leaves space for another young defender to push for a regular role.

Jacquet is recovering from a shoulder injury that ruled the defender out for the final three months of the 2025-26 season, yet Liverpool anticipate full fitness for the start of pre-season, and the French defender believes the move offers the ideal mix of opportunity, competition and long-term development at one of Europe’s most decorated clubs.

Jeremy Jacquet Liverpool move, price tag and ambitions

Jacquet said the decision balanced personal life and career aims, yet football came first at this moment, and the player accepted that joining a leading club for a high fee creates extra attention and scrutiny. "For me, there's the sporting project and the personal project," he added.At my age, I prioritise the sporting side. I'm focused on football. My agent told me there were two choices: either go to a mid-table club or skip the step altogether. Initially, we were leaning towards a mid-table club. But then I told him: 'If the biggest clubs in Europe are interested, we're not going to turn them down. They're there for a reason'. I spoke with the management; the club's history weighed heavily on my decision, but so did the project they offered me. Promising young players command quite high prices and, of course, that adds pressure: am I worth that price or not?I think I have the minimum resources to go there. I'm going there to play as much as possible.

Key facts about the Jeremy Jacquet Liverpool transfer are shown below, outlining the main details of the move, the financial terms and the context within both the French market and Liverpool’s defensive rebuild ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Jacquet’s arrival gives Liverpool another young central defender with resale value and potential, while offering the player direct access to Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate in daily training, and the 20-year-old intends to meet the price tag through consistent performances and by claiming as many minutes as possible in a busy season.