Tottenham have missed out on signing Ligue 1 talent to Premier League rivals.
Tottenham Hotspur had a very quiet transfer deadline day despite their struggles in the Premier League this season.
Thomas Frank’s side sit 14th in the Premier League table, but there were still no further senior additions to his squad on transfer deadline day. The Lilywhites did sign James Wilson from Hearts on an initial loan deal, with an option to buy at the end of the season. They beat bitter rivals Arsenal to the signing of Wilson, who will now team up with the Under-21s for the rest of the campaign.
Spurs’ transfer business on the deadline day also involved loaning out academy starlets George Abbott and Alfie Dorrington. Also, they missed out on several transfer targets by deciding not to loosen their purse strings, and one of those is Jeremy Jacquet.
Liverpool sign Rennes talent Jeremy Jacquet
Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet was quite a coveted commodity heading into the January transfer window. Tottenham were among the clubs tracking the 20-year-old’s progress at Rennes.
Jacquet, likened to Arsenal star defender William Saliba, has been on a steady rise over the past few years. This season, the France Under-21 international has been a regular fixture for Rennes, starting 18 Ligue 1 outings. On transfer deadline day, Liverpool beat Chelsea to the signing of Jacquet for £60m. The young centre-back will remain at Rennes for the rest of the season before moving to Anfield in the summer.
Thomas Frank was also understood to be desperate to add to his defensive unit, owing to recent injury troubles. Kevin Danso and Djed Spence were the latest casualties in defence, missing the weekend’s game against Manchester City. Star defender Micky van de Ven failed to prove his fitness, sitting out the second game in a row, while skipper Cristian Romero played with illness against Manchester City before getting subbed off at the interval.
There have been genuine concerns at the back for Frank, and missing out on Jacquet’s signing to Liverpool would come as a big blow for Tottenham, who invested considerable time and effort in scouting the 20-year-old in a bid to add him to their roster. Van de Ven and Romero’s recent injury records make it difficult for the head coach to trust them to stay fit for an entire season, while Radu Dragusin will be expected to leave Tottenham in the summer.
At 20, Jacquet would have been an ideal, long-term acquisition for the Lilywhites. Boasting just 31 senior appearances for Rennes, the Frenchman would have learnt a lot from the experienced duo of Romero and Van de Ven, whilst smoothening his integration into the squad next season. However, Liverpool have bagged his signature now, acting timely by laying out a clear pathway for his development.
Having said that, Tottenham chiefs will feel signing Jacquet somewhat reduces Liverpool’s summer budget and chances of landing Van de Ven, who has emerged as a shock target for the Reds.
