Jeremy Jacquet completes £60m Liverpool transfer as injury concerns eased
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Echo or go back to LFC Live.
SportFootballJeremy JacquetLiverpool have signed Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes in a £60m deal with the defender ready to play a full part in the pre-season programmeJeremy Jacquet has successfully completed his rehabilitation from shoulder surgery and will be ready for Liverpool's pre-season schedule which begins later this month.The centre-back's move from Rennes, which was agreed back in January, was formally completed on Wednesday.The Reds are set to pay an initial £55m with a further £5m in add-ons, making him the second most expensive defender of all-time at Anfield behind only Virgil van Dijk, who cost £75m from Southampton in January 2018.Jacquet suffered a season-ending shoulder injury shortly after his summer move was agreed on transfer deadline day earlier this year but the 20-year-old has since completed his recovery process, meaning he will be available immediately for Andoni Iraola.The ECHO understands Jacquet has signed a five-year deal with the option of a sixth as he gets set to compete for minutes alongside Joe Gomez, Giovanni Leoni and club captain Van Dijk, who is expected to be part of the summer tour of the United States after an exit from the World Cup at the round-of-32 stage with the Netherlands on Monday.Liverpool fended off competition from a slew of European clubs in the winter transfer window, most notably Chelsea, and it's understood the young defender is eager to work alongside two-time Premier League winner Van Dijk, who turns 35 this month.Jacquet fell awkwardly in the second half of Rennes’ 3-1 defeat to Lens in Ligue 1 in early February and left the pitch in obvious discomfort before it was later confirmed he would need surgery.However, having gone under the knife a few weeks after the injury was sustained, Jacquet has been back on the pitch during his summer break, working to an individually-tailored training plan ahead of his arrival at the AXA Training Centre later this month.Jacquet joins 11 months after 19-year-old Leoni was signed for just under £30m from Parma with Liverpool of the belief they have signed the two best young defenders from France and Italy.It's unclear how far Leoni is from a return from the ACL injury he sustained on his debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup last September. However, the young Italian has been back in the gym at the AXA Centre for some time, and an update is expected this month from new boss Iraola.Jacquet joins the club on the same day Real Madrid formally wrapped up their deal for Ibrahima Konate, who leaves Liverpool as a free agent.
The club were locked in talks with the defender's representatives for close to two years but was unable to reach an agreement, leaving the France international free to join the La Liga giants for nothing.FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook pageChoose Liverpool Echo as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.Liverpool FCLiverpool FC transfer newsJeremy Jacquet