Jeremy Jacquet's choice of song after Liverpool beat Brighton on Sunday, keeping their fourth clean sheet of the season, was telling. "Trust in the process, trust in the plan" were the lyrics accompanying images from the game. That is very much what the 21-year-old has been doing since joining Liverpool in a deal worth £60m over the summer.
Things could have been very different had Liverpool pressed further in their pursuit of Leny Yoro in 2024. Instead, they were alerted to another French centre-back in Jacquet, then playing for Rennes. Yoro moved to Manchester United from Lille and could go on to be an elite centre-half, but on Sunday the difference between the pair was hard to miss. Yoro, 20, made a calamitous error as United lost to Bournemouth, while Jacquet put in another assured performance against Brighton. Liverpool great Alan Hansen, watching at Anfield, would surely have taken satisfaction from the display.
Jacquet has started every Premier League and Champions League game since arriving, playing more minutes (956) than any Liverpool player bar Alisson (990) this season. The adaptation is remarkable given he spent much of the year recovering from a broken shoulder and a knee problem. He made his debut in a pre-season friendly against Como and was thrust into the starting side at Newcastle after Ibrahima Konate's move to Real Madrid. Despite a defeat to Manchester City and Erling Haaland, he has excelled, ranking fourth in the top flight for interceptions (15) and blocks (10).
His form earned a France call-up under Zinedine Zidane, who praised his bravery and duels. Liverpool, meanwhile, welcome Xabi Alonso back to Anfield on Wednesday when Chelsea visit in the Carabao Cup. Chelsea had also been keen on Jacquet, but he chose the Reds, a move that initially raised eyebrows.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing