Jacquet confirms Manchester United interest before his £60m Liverpool move

Jeremy Jacquet has confirmed Manchester United were interested in signing him before he agreed a £60 million move to Liverpool from Rennes in February, with the 20-year-old saying he always saw his future at Anfield.

Speaking to Ouest-France, Jacquet pushed back on reports that his transfer to Liverpool was rushed. “I won’t say it happened quickly, because I took my time with this big step. But I quickly saw myself at Liverpool. I heard they came in at the last minute, but that’s not true,” he said. “I’d been talking with them for a long time. There were other clubs too, like Manchester United. It didn’t happen in a week.”

Jacquet also addressed the noise surrounding his name on social media during the transfer window. “Honestly, a lot of false things were said! My brother and I were saying, ‘Where did that come from? I never said that!’ It was the first time I’d seen my name linked to social media like that. But anyway, it means clubs are interested in you.”

The defender’s move to Anfield was quickly overshadowed by misfortune. Fewer than seven days after the transfer was made official, Jacquet suffered a serious shoulder injury that required surgery, delaying his debut for the club.

For United, the failed pursuit of Jacquet is one of several defensive storylines from a difficult season. Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt have all missed significant time through injury, with De Ligt only recently undergoing surgery on a back problem that had kept him sidelined since November. With the remaining three now available, the defensive crisis has eased.

Attention at Old Trafford is increasingly turning to midfield ahead of the 2026/27 season. Manuel Ugarte is expected to leave this summer, following Casemiro out of the club, and manager Michael Carrick is understood to be targeting at least two additions in that area. Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni and Atalanta’s Ederson have been linked, with the latter reported to be close to becoming Carrick’s first permanent signing, as talks between the clubs continue to progress.