As we head into transfer deadline day this winter, some Liverpool fans may be looking back at how their last deadline day went.
The Reds secured a deal to bring Alexander Isak to the club, but infamously failed to sign Marc Gehi despite a deal reportedly being reached.
Crystal Palace failed to secure a replacement and gave up on the transfer, but six months later, he is now a Manchester City player. It’s interesting how quickly the soccer world changes.
Coincidentally, Liverpool are still looking to sign the elusive centre-back and could do so before the window closes at 7pm on Monday night.
Latest updates on Liverpool’s search for a new defender
On Sunday morning, news broke that Liverpool had entered into contract negotiations with Lutcharel Gertruida from RB Leipzig. The Dutch defender knows Arne Slott well, having captained the Dutchman during their time together at Feyenoord.
Unfortunately, however, this is a movement that shows no signs of progressing. Fabrizio Romano reports that discussions have taken place over the past 24 hours but no agreement has been reached. As a result, the transaction is now closed.
It would solve Liverpool’s defensive problems in the short term, but they are also looking to the long term.
That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who gave an update on the signing of Rennes centre-back Jeremy Jacquet. The Frenchman has been the subject of strong interest from Chelsea this winter, with the two sides holding talks to sign the 20-year-old.
“Liverpool are in a battle with Chelsea to discuss signing Jeremy Jaquet. They are fighting for every detail of the player,” Romano said on his YouTube channel on Sunday.
“They are talking to Rennes and talking to the player. But Rennes are not going to sell this player on time. It is for the summer, for the 2026/27 season. Liverpool and Chelsea are trying in every way to persuade the player and get the green light.”
Previous reports suggest it would likely cost more than £60m to sign him from France this summer.
Why Jaquet would be a dream signing for Liverpool
If Liverpool were able to sign Guia Truida between now and Monday’s deadline, it would have been a very smart signing.
The player is extremely versatile, capable of playing not only as a central defender who can cover for Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, but also as a right-back to fill the void left by the injured Conor Bradley.
Not only that, the Dutchman can also play in midfield, which makes the deal even more attractive.
That being said, he’s no joke. In the words of Como scout Ben Mattinson, the young Frenchman is “one of the top five centre-backs in the world” and “the next most coveted centre-back in world football”, and that says it all.
Having been born in the same region of France as William Saliba, aka Bondi, comparisons are already starting to be drawn between the two, and it’s easy to see why.
Jacquet has made his breakthrough in Ligue 1, especially at a young age, and continues to go from strength to strength in his homeland. So what makes him so good?
Well, he plays with a certain maturity beyond his years and has the same effortless defensive approach that Saliba has at Arsenal.
Combine that with his long legs and it’s easy to see why he not only excels in tackling, but has strong recovery pace to counterattack attackers heading towards goal.
His stats in Ligue 1 show even more exactly how good this young defender is.
2025/26 Jaquet vs Van Dijk | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (per 90 minutes) | backgammon | van dyke |
Pass accuracy | 90.52% | 90.02% |
Take-up completed | 0.3 | 0.1 |
The tackle I made | 1.5 | 0.7 |
won an aerial battle | 2.1 | 5 |
Successful aerial duel | 75.5% | 77.27% |
Won a ground duel | 2.5 | 1.3 |
Successful ground duel | 61.43% | 74.36% |
intercept | 1.1 | 0.7 |
Number of balls collected | 4.3 | 2.2 |
In fact, compared to positionally similar players in the French top flight this season, Jacquet ranks in the top 6% for duels won per 90 minutes. He is particularly commanding in the air, winning 75.5% of his aerial duels, a statistic that ranks him in the best 7% of French centre-backs, almost on par with the great Van Dijk.
Like the Liverpool captain, he is incredibly difficult to pass. This season, he has completed just 0.11 dribbles per 90 minutes, which puts him in the top 20% of centre-backs in Ligue 1.
As Mattinson hinted, this is a player in the making of an elite-level centre-back, and while Geertruida offers a sensible short-term solution, Jacquet is someone who could be at the heart of Liverpool’s backline for years to come.
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