New Liverpool defender Jeremy Jacquet believes he has what it takes to succeed at Anfield despite arriving with the weight of a massive £60 million transfer fee on his shoulders.
The highly-rated French centre-back agreed his move from Rennes back in February, with Liverpool paying £55m upfront and another £5m in potential add-ons.
The deal makes the young defender one of the most expensive French players in football history.
Despite making only 31 senior appearances for Rennes, Liverpool identified Jacquet as a long-term defensive solution and moved quickly to beat Chelsea to his signature.
The 20-year-old admitted he carefully considered his future before choosing the Premier League champions, insisting Liverpool’s sporting project convinced him to make the leap.
“I won’t say it [his decision] was a quick one, because I took my time with this big step but I quickly saw myself at Liverpool,” Jacquet told Ouest-France.
“I’ll be 21 in July. For me, there’s the sporting project and the personal project. At my age, I prioritise the sporting side. I’m focused on football.
“My agent told me there were two choices: either go to a mid-table club or skip the step altogether. Initially, we were leaning towards a mid-table club.
“But then I told him: ‘If the biggest clubs in Europe are interested, we’re not going to turn them down. They’re there for a reason.’”
Jacquet acknowledged the expectations that come with his hefty transfer fee but insisted he is ready for the challenge.
“I spoke with the management; the club’s history weighed heavily on my decision but so did the project they offered me.
“Promising young players command quite high prices and of course, that adds pressure: am I worth that price or not?
“I think I have the minimum resources to go there. I’m going there to play as much as possible.”
The defender is currently recovering from a serious shoulder injury that ended his season shortly after the transfer agreement was reached, but he is expected to be ready for pre-season.
Jacquet also revealed that the opportunity to work alongside Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk played a major role in choosing Anfield over Stamford Bridge.
“At Chelsea, I felt there were quite a lot of people [in his position]. Whereas at Liverpool, apart from the fact that Virgil van Dijk is nearing the end of his career, training with him is going to be huge,” he explained.
“He’s going to teach me so much. There’s also [fellow Frenchman] Ibou Konate, who can help me settle in. Training with guys like that, it doesn’t get any better than that.”
With uncertainty surrounding Joe Gomez’s future and Giovanni Leoni recovering from a long-term knee injury, Jacquet could find opportunities in Liverpool’s first-team squad sooner than expected.
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