As we approach the transfer deadline this winter, some Liverpool fans might reflect on how the final deadline day went.
While the Reds completed a deal to bring Alexander Isak to the club, they unfortunately missed out on Marc Guehi when they would have agreed a deal.
Crystal Palace pulled the plug on his move after failing to find a replacement, and six months later he is now a Manchester City player. It’s funny how quickly things change in football, isn’t it?
As it happens, Liverpool are still looking for their elusive centre-back and could sign one before the window closes at 7pm on Monday evening.
The latest on Liverpool’s search for a new defender
News broke on Sunday morning that Liverpool were in talks to sign Lutsharel Geertruida from RB Leipzig. The Dutch defender knows Arne Slot well and was the Dutchman’s captain during their time together at Feyenoord.
That said, this is an approach that, unfortunately, no longer seems likely to move forward. Fabrizio Romano reports that discussions took place over the last 24 hours, but an agreement could not be reached. As a result, the agreement is now canceled.
While this would have been a short-term solution to Liverpool’s defensive problems, they are also considering a longer-term solution.
This was declared by Fabrizio Romano who gave an update on his pursuit of Rennes central defender Jérémie Jacquet. The Frenchman has been the subject of keen interest from Chelsea this winter and the two sides are in talks to acquire the 20-year-old.
Speaking on his YouTube channel on Sunday, Romano said: “Liverpool are in conversation for Jeremy Jacquet, in a battle with Chelsea. They are fighting over every million and every detail of the player.
“They are talking to Rennes and talking to the player. But, Rennes will not sell this player in the window, it is for the summer, it is for the 2026/27 season. Liverpool and Chelsea are trying by all means to convince the player and get the green light.”
Previous reports have indicated that it would likely be necessary over £60 million to keep him away from France this summer.
Why Jacquet should be Liverpool’s dream signing
If Liverpool could have completed a deal for Geertruida by Monday’s deadline, it would be a very smart move.
He is a player who possesses enormous versatility, possessing the ability to not only play as a central defender where he could replace Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, but also as a right back where he would help fill the void left by the injured Conor Bradley.
Not only that, but the Dutchman can also play in midfield, which adds an extra level of appeal to the deal.
That being said, it’s not Jacquet. In the words of Como recruiter Ben Mattinson, the young Frenchman has “the five best central defenders of world potential” and is “world football’s next highly coveted central defender”, which says it all.
Born in the same region of France as William Saliba, in Bondy, comparisons are already starting to emerge between the two, and it’s easy to understand why.
Jacquet made his breakthrough in Ligue 1 at a particularly young age and continues to go from strength to strength in his homeland. So what makes it so good?
Well, he plays with some maturity beyond his years and has the same effortless defending approach as Saliba at Arsenal.
Add to that his long legs and it’s easy to see why he is not only exceptional in the tackle, but also has a quick recovery rate to hit back at attackers heading towards goal.
His Ligue 1 data highlights just how good this young defender is.
|
Jacquet vs Van Dijk in 2025/26 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics (per 90 minutes) |
Backgammon |
Van Dyke |
|
Success accuracy |
90.52% |
90.02% |
|
Supports completed |
0.3 |
0.1 |
|
Tackles made |
1.5 |
0.7 |
|
Aerial duels won |
2.1 |
5 |
|
Aerial duel success |
75.5% |
77.27% |
|
Ground duels won |
2.5 |
1.3 |
|
Ground duel success |
61.43% |
74.36% |
|
Interceptions |
1.1 |
0.7 |
|
Ball recoveries |
4.3 |
2.2 |
Indeed, compared to similarly positioned players in the French elite this season, Jacquet ranks in the top 6% of duels won per 90 minutes. He is notably imperious in the air, winning 75.5% of his aerial duels, a statistic which ranks him among the top 7% of France’s central defenders and puts him almost on the same pedestal as the great Van Dijk.
Much like the Liverpool skipper, he is also incredibly difficult to pass. He has only been dribbled past 0.11 times per 90 minutes this season, meaning he ranks in the top 20% of Ligue 1 centre-backs for this statistic.
As Mattinson mentioned, this is an elite central defender in the making and, while Geertruida represented a smart short-term solution, Jacquet is someone who could live at the heart of this Liverpool backline for years to come.
