Liverpool-bound defender Jeremy Jacquet is set to undergo season-ending surgery on his left shoulder, ruling him out for the remainder of Rennes' campaign. The 20-year-old Frenchman, who joined the Reds on a pre-contract deal worth £55m plus £5m in add-ons last month, sustained the injury during a 3-1 defeat at Lens on February 7, just five days after his transfer was confirmed.
According to French newspaper Ouest-France, inconclusive pain assessments have left surgery as the only option for Jacquet. Liverpool have maintained contact with Rennes and the player but deferred the final decision to the Ligue 1 club and Jacquet himself. With Rennes' season ending in mid-May, the centre-back is unlikely to feature again for Franck Haise's side.
Jacquet will officially become a Liverpool player on July 1. Arne Slot, Liverpool's manager, praised the signing, saying: 'He is a very big talent – and maybe even more than only a talent. We were not the only one interested in him, so another big compliment for the people working every day to sign players that we were able to sign such a big talent.'
Jacquet had made 21 appearances for Rennes this season before his injury, totalling 88 senior outings in his career, including spells in Rennes' B team and loan periods at Clermont Foot. He is expected to bolster Liverpool's defence, potentially partnering Virgil van Dijk next season, given Ibrahima Konate's contract expiring in the summer and Giovanni Leoni sidelined until at least August.
