Liverpool fend off late hijack attempt to secure summer centre-back signing

Liverpool’s summer move for Jeremy Jacquet appears to have survived a late attempt from Manchester United to step in, with fresh reporting suggesting the rival approach came too late to change the defender’s plan.

That matters for us because this is the type of deal Liverpool have tried to execute more cleanly in recent windows, getting an agreement in place early and then holding their nerve when the noise ramps up near deadline moments.

Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg said on X that the attempted hijack failed because an agreement had already been reached with Liverpool.

“Excl | Manchester United tried to hijack Jeremy Jacquet’s summer transfer to Liverpool in the last hours, but were unsuccessful. Jacquet already had an agreement in place with Liverpool.”

It’s a small detail, but it supports the wider picture painted over the last few days, which Jacquet being positioned as a long-term defensive investment rather than a quick fix for this season’s injury issues.

The context here is important, because the weekend’s 4-1 win over Newcastle showed we can cope even when we are improvising in defensive areas, but it also underlined how thin things have become when injuries hit at the same time.

Liverpool transfer latest on Jacquet and why rivals mattered

Excl | Manchester United tried to hijack Jeremy Jacquet’s summer transfer to Liverpool in the last hours, but were unsuccessful. Jacquet already had an agreement in place with Liverpool. #LFC #MUFC

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) February 1, 2026

Jacquet, a 20-year-old French youth international, is the sort of age-profile we have leaned towards when we believe a player can grow into an elite option rather than simply plug a short-term gap.

The Rennes centre-back stands at 191cm, which gives a useful snapshot of the physical and technical baseline before you even get into scouting detail.

The storyline around competition also fits what was already being said elsewhere, with Chelsea and Bayern Munich also mentioned as interested parties, meaning this was never going to be a quiet run to the finish line.

That is why the latest claim about a late hijack attempt lands the way it does, because it suggests Liverpool had done the hard part early by getting the player aligned before other clubs tried to accelerate.

Jacquet stats that explain Liverpool’s long-term defender plan

There is still a fair way to go before anyone can call Jacquet a finished product, but the consistency is the big hook when you look at his 2025/26 league usage, via Sofascore.

He has started all 18 Ligue 1 games, played 1,604 minutes, and completed 91% of his passes, which points towards trust from coaches and a profile that suits a side that wants centre-backs comfortable in possession.

Those numbers don’t guarantee success in England, but they do underline why Liverpool would be comfortable taking competition head-on for a player seen as an upside bet for the next cycle of the squad.

The idea isn’t simply to cover a week-to-week injury list, it’s to start building depth and quality for next season while our senior options get older and contract situations move towards decision points.

With David Ornstein confirming the Frenchman is on his way to Merseyside for a medical, it makes it even sweeter that the Reds beat English and European competition to land this deal.

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