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Jeremy Jacquet is set to make his move to the Premier League this summer, a transfer that has seemed increasingly inevitable in recent months.

Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool had all been linked with the talented Stade Rennais centre-back, whose emergence is the latest addition to the long line of academy products from Rennes making their way across the English Channel.

In the end, Liverpool secured Jacquet’s signature, with the French defender joining the Reds later this year for an initial fee of £55 million, with an additional £5 million in performance-related add-ons.

Unlike his Rennes contemporaries Mathys Tel and Desire Doue, Jacquet developed at a slower pace, his progress hindered by injuries and physical development issues during his early teenage years. As a result, he had to bide his time before breaking into the first team, spending a loan spell at Clermont Foot to gain experience.

It was only after former Premier League defender Habib Beye, then head coach of Rennes, recalled him that Jacquet began the remarkable rise that would eventually make him the most expensive player ever sold by the Ligue 1 club.

Born in Bondy, a Paris suburb also known for producing stars like Kylian Mbappe, William Saliba, and Randal Kolo Muani, Jacquet joined Rennes’ esteemed youth academy at an early age.

His physical presence and sharp defensive instincts quickly caught the eye in France’s youth international teams, earning him a place in UEFA’s Team of the Tournament at the 2024 Under-19 European Championship.

His loan spell at Clermont was initially challenging, as he struggled for playing time during his first six months, which coincided with the team’s relegation from Ligue 1. In the following season in Ligue 2, however, Jacquet began to showcase his defensive qualities, prompting Beye to recall him as Rennes faced their own relegation battle.

Upon his return, Rennes went an impressive 355 minutes without conceding a goal when Jacquet was on the pitch. By the season’s end, the team had successfully climbed back to mid-table safety.

Jacquet’s decision to join Liverpool appears to have been influenced by the strong possibility of regular first-team football at Anfield.

With Arne Slot’s side currently short on established central defenders — Ibrahima Konate potentially departing on a free transfer this summer, Giovanni Leoni sidelined until next season, and Virgil van Dijk nearing the latter stages of his career — Jacquet’s arrival could prove timely.

DID YOU KNOW: Jacquet has previously revealed that one of his football idols is none other than Liverpool’s own Ibrahima Konate.