Report: New Liverpool signing is impressing in every aspect

Report: New Liverpool signing is impressing in every aspect Jeremy Jacquet Is Already Showing Why Liverpool Spent £60m Liverpool spent £60million on Jeremy Jacquet knowing there was an element of projection involved. Seven appearances into his Liverpool career, that projection is beginning to look rather convincing. As detailed by Andy Jones for The Athletic , Jacquet arrived after a difficult period physically. A shoulder injury followed by a minor knee problem meant he had gone 190 days without playing before Liverpool’s final pre-season fixture against Como. At 21, with only 57 senior appearances behind him, patience appeared necessary. Instead, Jacquet has immediately looked comfortable in Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool. Jacquet fits Iraola’s Liverpool blueprint Liverpool’s 1-0 victory at Bournemouth provided a neat snapshot of his qualities. Jacquet intercepted an attack near his own penalty area, stepped forward, released Bradley Barcola and continued his run before finding Alexander Isak. Moments later, he intercepted again and helped create another opportunity. That willingness to defend forwards matters enormously under Iraola. His centre-backs are required to step out and engage opponents, keeping Liverpool compact and allowing their press to function higher up the pitch. Jacquet appears naturally suited to those demands. His duel success rate in the Premier League stands at 76.3 per cent, bettered only by Everton’s James Tarkowski among defenders with more than 300 minutes played. His aerial duel success rate is similarly impressive at 76.9 per cent. Van Dijk offers important perspective Virgil van Dijk has understandably attempted to keep expectations under control. “He has had an excellent start, but we are only in September,” Van Dijk said after the Bournemouth victory. “I want him to keep working and learning. There is obviously a lot of praise, and rightly so, but I know how it works when you play a game that doesn’t meet the standards you have set. So let’s just stay calm and keep working.” Photo: IMAGO Iraola has noticed Jacquet’s physical development too. “He’s still very young. He is adapting really well to the Premier League,” he said. “In the first games, physically he was feeling the change of rhythm. He was finishing with cramp, really tired, and we had to sub him. “Today has been a step forward. He looked solid until the end, and he’s finished physically in a good place.” Passing ability changes Liverpool’s build-up Perhaps Jacquet’s most intriguing quality is what happens after he wins possession. The Athletic highlights his ability to turn defensive interventions into attacks, something Liverpool occasionally lacked from Ibrahima Konate. Jacquet has already played 57 passes into the final third, third among Premier League defenders, while recording 76 line-breaking passes, the sixth-highest total. That combination of physicality, anticipation and progressive distribution explains why France have already promoted him into Zinedine Zidane’s senior squad. Nobody should be declaring a 21-year-old centre-back the finished product in September. Yet Liverpool needed Jacquet to develop quickly following Konate’s departure for Real Madrid. So far, he has done considerably more than survive. Our View, Anfield Index Analysis There is something genuinely exciting about watching Jacquet because Liverpool supporters are already seeing characteristics that normally take much longer to emerge in a young centre-back. His performance against Bournemouth felt significant. Liverpool were protecting a 1-0 lead away from home and Jacquet looked comfortable with the responsibility. He defended aggressively, carried himself confidently and, crucially, continued looking forward when Liverpool regained possession. That final point could become extremely important. Liverpool have Van Dijk’s passing range, but Jacquet provides another defender capable of breaking lines. Opponents cannot simply funnel possession towards one centre-back and assume Liverpool’s build-up becomes predictable. His 57 passes into the final third and 76 line-breaking passes suggest this is already becoming an important part of his game. The relationship with Ronald Araujo is fascinating too. Liverpool have recorded three consecutive Premier League clean sheets with Araujo starting at right-back, restricting Ipswich, Fulham and Bournemouth to less than 0.80 xG in each match. For supporters, perhaps the most encouraging thing is how quickly anxiety around centre-back has disappeared. There will inevitably be difficult afternoons ahead. Manchester City, Brentford, Brighton and Arsenal await Liverpool after the international break. Those matches should tell us considerably more. Right now, though, Liverpool’s £60m investment looks increasingly understandable. Jacquet has started like a defender who intends to make this position his own.