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Beth Lindop
Multiple Authors
Arne Slot has praised defender Jérémy Jacquet as a “significant talent” in anticipation of his upcoming transfer to Liverpool.
On deadline day, Slot’s team reached an initial agreement of £55 million ($74.6m) with Rennes for Jacquet, with the centre-back set to join Anfield in July.
Interest in Jacquet also came from several European teams, including Chelsea, but Liverpool accelerated their pursuit of the player last weekend.
“We’re very pleased, of course,” Slot remarked. “He’s a remarkable talent, and given his age, we refer to him as such. Additionally, the fact that we faced competition for him is a huge compliment to our recruitment team, who work diligently to secure players.”
“His immense talent is a testament to our club’s strategy — targeting young, gifted players at the initiation of their careers or those who are already a few years into their journey. These players not only enhance our squad in the short term but will significantly contribute in the long term as well.”
“We’ve recently acquired many such talents and as I’ve mentioned numerous times, both the mid and long-term prospects of this club, as well as our immediate future, look incredibly promising.”
Currently, Liverpool sits in sixth place in the Premier League standings and aims to strengthen their chances for a top-four finish with a win against Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.
“In our previous match at the Etihad, where we lost 3-0, we were clearly outperformed in the first half,” Slot reflected.
“This game will be another opportunity to gauge where we stand in our team’s development.”
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“We understand the importance of securing a positive result this Sunday, which is crucial for all teams in the Premier League at this stage of the season – every result carries more weight now.”
“Manchester City is an excellent team that recently triumphed over an opponent we faced last weekend, even without their key players. That underscores how formidable City continues to be.”
Addressing the injury situation at Liverpool, Slot mentioned: “Jeremie [Frimpong] will not be training this week, thus he won’t be available for the weekend.
“With Joe [Gomez], we hold a glimmer of hope that he might train on Saturday. He likely won’t start, but he may be able to assist the team if necessary, especially given the current shortage of defenders.”