Zidane hails 'very good' Jacquet as Liverpool's £60m defender defies the bedding-in period

When you earn praise from Zinedine Zidane, you know you have made it. New Liverpool centre-back Jérémy Jacquet earned his first France call-up in the latest international break, starting UEFA Nations League games against Türkiye and Italy and impressing in both.

Asked about the 21-year-old's impact in the draw with Italy, Zidane said: "Very good. Very, very good. Brave. He wasn't afraid to come out a long way. Very good in the duels. He was, once again, very good. I said it four times."

Jacquet was forced to sit out the return meeting with Italy on Monday with what Zidane described as a "slight knock", but the impression had already been made — and it was thoroughly merited. The Frenchman has taken to Premier League football at Anfield "like a canard to eau".

From Rennes to Anfield at breakneck speed

When Liverpool signed Jacquet in January, the assumption was that he would be eased in slowly. He was lined up to join the Reds this summer in a reported £60 million deal from Rennes, but with compatriot Ibrahima Konaté leaving for Real Madrid, a gap opened up that the youngster has gleefully stepped into.

Despite being just 21 and playing in France's second tier only two seasons ago, Jacquet has slipped seamlessly into Premier League football. Liverpool also brought Ronald Araujo in on loan from Barcelona, but the Uruguayan has been deployed at right-back more often than centre-back, with Jacquet trusted by Andoni Iraola to partner Virgil van Dijk.

Jacquet suffered a shoulder injury in his first game for Rennes after confirming his summer switch to Merseyside, then had a further setback ahead of pre-season. But Iraola, who arrived after Jacquet was signed, backed him from the outset. He started Liverpool's opener and, though he was withdrawn early in the 2-2 draw at Newcastle United and the stalemate with Nottingham Forest, it was clearly a case of managing minutes rather than a lack of faith.

Clean sheets and growing authority

Jacquet has started all five of Liverpool's Premier League games this season, as well as the UEFA Champions League win over Atlético Madrid. The 1-0 win at Bournemouth last time out — Alexander Isak the match-winner on Iraola's return to his former club — made it three consecutive Premier League clean sheets for Liverpool for the first time since September 2024, with Jacquet playing a significant role.

As reported on 21 September, Alisson and Van Dijk were superb at the Vitality Stadium, the goalkeeper producing a fine first-half save to deny Evanilson. Iraola pointed to the developing understanding at the back, saying: "The more times they play together, the more solid the defensive line becomes. Virgil, Jeremy, Ronald and Milos [Kerkez] — they're getting the connections and becoming more solid."

The numbers behind the hype

Jacquet won 75.5% of his aerial duels in Ligue 1 last season, the most of any player to contest at least 40, and he has carried that into England, winning 10 of 13 aerials in the Premier League (76.9%) — more than both Van Dijk (71.4%) and Araujo (72.0%). Only Manchester United's Harry Maguire (17 of 22 – 77.3%) has won a greater proportion among players to have contested 13 or more aerials.

He has also been outstanding in ground duels, winning 19 of 25 (76.0%). Of Premier League defenders to have contested 15 or more ground duels this season, only Everton's James Tarkowski has won a greater share (19 of 21 – 90.5%). In 'true tackles' — the sum of successful tackles, challenges lost and fouls when attempting a tackle — Jacquet has attempted 15 in the Premier League at a 73.3% success rate; no player to have attempted as many has a higher win percentage.

His ability in possession suits Iraola's demands. Jacquet has played 57 passes into the opposition's final third in the Premier League this season; only Van Dijk (76) and Tottenham's Jan Paul van Hecke (62) have attempted more. He has also completed 23 of 36 long passes (at least 32 metres), enabling Liverpool to get the ball forward quickly.

Measuring up to Konaté and Van Dijk

There have been suggestions that Jacquet could be an upgrade on the man he replaced. Konaté was largely impressive at Anfield but had an inconsistent final season before moving to Madrid. Jacquet is averaging 2.9 tackles per 90 (against Konaté's 1.9 last season) and edges him on ground duel success rate (76-66%). Konaté won more aerials (3.6-2.2) but also contested more, with Araujo next to Jacquet at right-back having contested more aerials than any other Liverpool player in the Premier League this season (25). Jacquet more than doubles Konaté's interceptions per 90 (1.7-0.8) and is ahead for progressive carries (9.3-8.2) and final-third passes.

Jacquet has won 76.3% of his total duels in the Premier League this season (29/38), matching Van Dijk's highest duel success rate in any single Liverpool campaign (2018-19). As ever, the comparisons come with caveats: Konaté and Van Dijk have operated under different instructions and roles, so the numbers reflect style as much as ability.

The Haaland test awaits

It would have been easy to view Van Dijk handing Jacquet his Player of the Match award after the Bournemouth win as a passing-of-the-torch moment. These remain early days — centre-back is a position where young players tend to make high-profile mistakes, and patience is usually required. Yet Jacquet has taken everything in his stride, and he faces the biggest test of his Liverpool career to date on Sunday when Premier League leaders Manchester City visit Anfield. Coming up against Erling Haaland may be the toughest assignment in the game for a centre-back, but to this point Jacquet has only provided evidence that it is one he is more than capable of rising to.