Jeremy Jacquet has finalised a move to Liverpool in a deal worth up to £60 - but the defender will not move to Anfield until the summer.

It would not be an understatement to say he was a name most people were unaware of at the start of the winter window. To commit up to £60m - £55m up front before a potential £5m in add ons - for a 20-year-old is a hefty call but Liverpool view the French centre-back as a long-term investment and someone who will form an integral part of their backline for years to come.

Given the club's defensive problems this season - they have conceded 33 goals from 24 Premier League games - and their ongoing injury crisis, it is also telling Arne Slot's side are prepared to wait until the summer for Jacquet, who will join from Ligue 1 Rennes.

The question of whether they could have got him now has a simple answer - Rennes are simply unwilling to sanction a move until the summer. The French side are not in a rush for the money and adamant any fee for Jacquet would have to surpass their previous club record sale of £55.4m when Manchester City signed Jeremy Doku from them in 2023.

Meanwhile, Liverpool are happy to wait, signing the player on a five-year contract until 2031, with the option for a further year. They see Jacquet as a young defender with plenty of senior experience for his age and their data analysis has backed the decision to spend so much on a player they believe has immense potential.