Profiling Jérémy Jacquet with Data (ft. comparison with M. Guehi & J. Quansah)

Liverpool have an elite young centre-back boxed off months before the summer transfer window

Written on 02/02/2026 (written after David Ornstein’s update that Jacquet is undergoing medical at Liverpool)

Liverpool have agreed a pre-contract deal with Rennes to sign Jérémy Jacquet, who will arrive at the club this summer. As a data analyst who has spent the season sifting through Europe’s impressive under-23 centre-backs, I’m delighted that the Reds have pressed ahead with the signing of the French defender, gazumping Chelsea in the process.

Back in November, I analysed under-23 centre-backs across Europe, and Jacquet emerged as one of the standout names following an extensive, data-driven filtering of the crème de la crème. You can find that article here:

U-23 Centre-Backs from Europe's Top Leagues that Liverpool and top clubs SHOULD keep an eye on

With the self-patting on the back out of the way, let’s focus on this article. It will profile Jacquet, unpack what his numbers tell us about his season so far, draw comparisons with Marc Guéhi and Jarell Quansah for different reasons, and outline what Liverpool can expect from him when he arrives in the summer.

Jacquet is a France Under-21 international who came through the Rennes academy in the early 2020s before progressing to the club’s B side in 2022. He made his senior debut during the 2023/24 season, before joining Clermont Foot (now a Ligue 2 side) on loan for the second half of that campaign and the first half of the 2024/25 season. He returned to Rennes in the latter half of last season and has since established himself as a regular starter.

The 20-year-old has made 55 senior appearances across Rennes and Clermont Foot to date. He is still in the infancy of his footballing career, but the promise and talent have been clear for all to see.

From a positional perspective, Jacquet has predominantly operated as the central centre-back in a back three for Rennes this season. Last season, he also featured on the right side of a back three in a few games and made a handful of appearances as a right-back in a back four.

Up next are his percentile ranks when measured against centre-backs across Europe’s top four leagues (England, Germany, France and Spain) this season. I’ve removed the age filter to assess where he stands among the continent’s elite for the campaign so far.

• Playing for a side that averages just over 50% possession, Jacquet ranking in the 65th percentile for open-play passes is a solid return, particularly when paired with his 86th-percentile pass accuracy (90.5% in raw terms). He also ranks above the 70th percentile for the accuracy of passes into the final third.

• The latter is a crucial metric when scouting or profiling a centre-back for a high-possession side like Liverpool, where defenders are required to thread balls into advanced areas with consistent accuracy. For context, Virgil van Dijk, this season, boasts a final-third pass accuracy of 76.6%, with Jacquet only 3.5% behind him.

• In terms of ball carrying, the Frenchman ranks above the 70th percentile across all key metrics, including chance-ending carries. This highlights that, when given the opportunity, he is far from shy about driving forward with the ball and creating gaps in the opposition defence, often followed by a pass to capitalise on the movement.

• In possession-adjusted defensive metrics, the 20-year-old is performing above average. While this does not feature in the chart, he ranks in the 85th percentile for tackle win percentage against dribblers. An excellent return!

• Although he contests fewer than three aerial duels per 90, potentially a by-product of operating in a back three, his aerial win rate is very high (over 70% in raw numbers). This provides confidence that he can replicate those levels in the Premier League, where he would be expected to contest at least four aerial duels per 90 in the modern game.

Considering that these percentile ranks are measured against centre-backs of all age groups across Europe’s top leagues, it is an impressive return for a 20-year-old centre-back in what is effectively his second season in Ligue 1.

For further context, Jacquet ranks in the 67th percentile for pass accuracy following a ball recovery (89.55% in raw numbers). This underlines his decent composure on the ball after completing a recovery action for the team.

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