Liverpool have confirmed that new signing Jeremy Jacquet will wear the No.5 shirt for the upcoming season. The French defender inherits the number from Ibrahima Konate, who left Anfield upon the expiry of his contract in June and subsequently joined Real Madrid on a free transfer.
£60m Transfer Completed
The Reds paid £60 million to sign Jacquet from Rennes in the January transfer window, but the 21-year-old remained with the Ligue 1 club until the end of the season. Now fully recovered from a shoulder injury that kept him out of Rennes' final games, Jacquet has begun training with his new teammates at Liverpool.
In a video posted on Liverpool's social media channels, Jacquet showed off his new shirt. The No.5 has a storied history at the club, previously worn by the likes of Alan Hansen, Mark Lawrenson, and Steve McManaman. Konate had taken the number after arriving from RB Leipzig in 2021, inheriting it from Georginio Wijnaldum.
Jacquet's Ambitions and Fitness
Jacquet expressed his excitement about joining Liverpool, saying, "It's a legendary club, and the football philosophy and project really appealed to me. My family and I believe we have made the right choice and we feel really happy here."
Regarding his shoulder injury, Jacquet stated, "I feel much improved and I will be 100 per cent ready [for the start of pre-season] because I'm a little ahead of schedule. I was given the go-ahead to start a programme of training with the group [at Rennes], but it was a bit late to be with the team. But with continued hard work I'll be fully fit before the season."
Partnership with Virgil van Dijk
Jacquet is expected to partner Virgil van Dijk at the heart of Liverpool's defence, a prospect he relishes. "Of course, I'm really excited to line up alongside a great player like him," Jacquet added. "I think he's up there with the best centre-backs in the world currently, so I can only learn from him."
Further Transfers Expected
Liverpool's other summer signing, Victor Munoz, is currently away at the World Cup with Spain, who will face Argentina in the final on Sunday. New manager Andoni Iraola confirmed on Monday that Liverpool remain active in the transfer market. Speaking at his first press conference, Iraola said, "We've signed two players already but we need more players. The club are working on this."
