Liverpool could start the first day of the new season with the past and the future side by side in central defense, after summer signing Jérémy Jacquet confirmed he has fully recovered from a long-term shoulder injury.
Jacquet has now completed a £60 million ($79.7 million) transfer from Rennes that was pre-arranged in February. The 20-year-old Frenchman effectively replaces compatriot Ibrahima Konaté, who has signed with Real Madrid as a free agent, and joins a group of center backs led by Virgil van Dijk.
Giovanni Leoni, who suffered an ACL tear just over nine months ago, has also been tipped to return in time for preseason—ahead of the original anticipated 12-month schedule. Joe Gomez is the only other recognized center back in the first-team squad.
Any lingering doubts that Jacquet’s shoulder, hurt only five days after agreeing to become the second-most expensive defender in Liverpool history, will continue to be a problem into preseason have been allayed by the player himself.
“I feel much improved and I will be 100% ready [for the start of preseason],” Jacquet told Liverpool’s official website, adding, “I’m a little ahead of schedule.
“I was given the go-ahead to start a program of training with the group [at Rennes], but it was a bit late to be with the team. But with continued hard work I’ll be fully fit before the [2026–27] season.”
When Will Jérémy Jacquet Make his Liverpool Debut?
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