Jeremy Jacquet has become a fan favourite at Anfield after his summer move, but the 21-year-old might never have joined Liverpool if the Reds had signed their original target, Leny Yoro.
Jacquet has impressed in his first eight games for Liverpool, including five Premier League appearances, and has drawn praise from France head coach Zinedine Zidane. His early form has helped ease concerns about the defence following Ibrahima Konate's shock departure in the summer.
How the transfer U-turn began
Liverpool's interest in Jacquet started as an information-gathering exercise on Yoro, the highly-rated Lille defender. That process led to conversations about his countryman, who became a more prominent figure on the shortlist.
Manchester United signed Yoro for an initial £52million, while Liverpool were unwilling to match the fee. The 20-year-old has since struggled in a United side plagued by problems over the last two years, making just two late cameo appearances against Ipswich and Everton.
Zidane's praise for both defenders
Both players have received praise from Zidane during his first camp with France. On Yoro, he said: "There’s a lot of competition for that position, and when we lost Ibrahima Konaté, we immediately wanted to take Leny. I’m happy for him because he had a great game. He fulfilled his role well. I’m happy for all these young players in the French national team."
Of Jacquet, Zidane said: "Very good. Very, very good. Brave. He wasn’t afraid to come out a long way. Very good in the duels. He was, once again, very good. I said it four times." The French media have also described his display in the 1-1 draw with Italy as 'dazzling'.
Jacquet's impact at Anfield
Jacquet missed France's 4-1 win over Belgium on Monday with a hamstring strain, but has passed his tests with flying colours in the Premier League so far. He has looked assured, composed and physically ready for English football, bucking the trend of Liverpool's recent arrivals who struggled early in their Anfield careers.
While Yoro received his maiden international call-up and made his debut in that win over Belgium, Jacquet is currently making the Liverpool recruitment team look very wise indeed.
