Liverpool have clinched the signing of Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes for an initial £55m after beating Chelsea to the highly-rated French defender.
The 20-year-old will complete his move to Anfield on 1 July as Liverpool have already tied up their first bit of summer business.
Jacquet, whose fee could rise to £60m including add-ons, will sign a five-year deal with the option to extend it a further season, until 2032.
His arrival will take Liverpool’s expenditure since the start of last summer’s transfer window past £500m, even though they were unable to strengthen their injury-hit squad in January.
Liverpool had looked for a right-back to cover for the injured Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong but were unable to arrange to bring in Lutsharel Geertruida, amid complications in extricating the RB Leipzig player from his loan at Sunderland.
But sporting director Richard Hughes did negotiate a deal for Jacquet, who had attracted the attention of some of Europe’s leading clubs, with Chelsea particularly keen on him.
Jacquet will arrive as the future of Liverpool’s defence takes shape, following the purchase of 19-year-old Giovanni Leoni last summer.
But he will also join as captain Virgil van Dijk enters the last year of his current deal while they risk losing Ibrahima Konate, whose contract expires this summer, at the end of June.
Liverpool had looked to buy another centre-back in 2025 but a move for Marc Guehi broke down on deadline day and the England international instead moved to Manchester City in January.
