I’ve been looking at Jeremy Jacquet’s recent minutes by position, not to declare him the finished article, but to get a feel for where Liverpool might see him. And the first thing that jumps out is that he hasn’t just been a “one spot only” centre-half. He’s been used across a back three and a back four, on both sides, and even had a dabble wider.

That matters. Not because it guarantees he’ll make it at Anfield, but because it hints at what the coaches think he can handle. When you’re building a squad rather than just an XI, that flexibility is gold dust.

His natural home looks left-sided

Across the last couple of seasons, his most common role has been on the left of a back three. He’s also had games as the central defender in that three, and a smaller number on the right. In a back four, the sample is thinner, but it’s there too.

The Clermont spell is the one that can muddy the waters. A big chunk of his back-four experience came there, largely at right centre-back. But if you’re playing next to an older head who’s made a career out of being the left-sided centre-half, you can see why the younger lad ends up on the right. That doesn’t automatically mean it’s where he’s at his best.

Why it makes sense for Liverpool’s options

If Jacquet is most at ease left-sided, it’s interesting alongside the idea that Leoni has tended to operate on the right of the centre-backs so far. Even without getting carried away, that’s a neat bit of profile balance. One who likes it left, one who likes it right, and you’ve got less shuffling around when you’re trying to settle partnerships.

It also speaks to squad planning beyond the next matchday. Virgil van Dijk has set the bar for centre-backs here, and replacing that sort of presence is never a straight like-for-like job. Still, if you’re thinking long-term succession, you’d want someone who can be developed into a leader in the middle or at least someone who can play in the zones Liverpool ask their centre-halves to cover.

Back three, back four, and the bigger picture

The other encouraging bit is the experience across systems. Liverpool won’t always look the same from one season to the next, even under the same manager, and Arne Slot has already shown he’ll tweak structures depending on what’s in front of him.

So a defender who’s seen both a three and a four, and understands the different distances, cover angles, and decision-making that come with each, is a useful tool. None of this tells us if Jacquet has the quality or the mindset to thrive at Liverpool. That’s the real test. But purely on the face of where he’s played and what that implies, you can understand the optimism.

Written by RedDawn: 2 February 2026

Tags: efl tactics rumours