Jérémy Jacquet Points Towards a Back Three

Liverpool's transfer business in their post-Klopp rebuild suggests they might move to a back three system. Analysis of Jacquet adds an intriguing dimension.

Liverpool supporters don’t usually know what the backroom brains at the club are plotting. It leads to a lot of idle speculation on their plans.

It was widely assumed the Reds were not going to sign anyone in January once Marc Guéhi and Antoine Semenyo moved to Manchester City. Liverpool didn’t make a move in terms of competing in 2025/26, though they did agree a deal for Rennes centre-back Jérémy Jacquet to join in the summer.

Most supporters won’t have been aware of the 20-year-old. The solution is to undertake the trusted method of research: watching a compilation on YouTube in which the only bad thing is the music. It’s obviously great to see what a player does well but such videos never provide a rounded picture of their strengths and weaknesses.

Still, there was plenty to admire about Jacquet in the clips. A look into his club data revealed his side have played almost exclusively in a 3-5-2 system. Adding that to what we know about other Liverpool acquisitions and targets sparked a thought. I floated the following on Bluesky, indirectly hinting at the notion of the Reds lining up with a back three in the future (and thanks to people who prompted several further lines of enquiry in the replies):

Jacquet plays in a back three at Rennes. Frimpong is a wing-back. He thrived alongside Wirtz in a 3-4-3 at Leverkusen. Frankfurt (Ekitike) ended last season regularly playing in some version of a formation with a back three as did Parma (Leoni).

The idea of the Reds setting up in, say, a 3-4-1-2 system next season doesn’t seem odd in light of the above, albeit what a player did before isn’t evidence of all they can do. Could the below be Liverpool’s opening day line up for 2026/27? With another young centre-back included, only Alisson and Virgil van Dijk would be over 27-years-old. Reds of the future, assemble.

Guéhi started on the left of a back three under Oliver Glasner at Crystal Palace, which strengthens this tactical theory. Other former targets Leny Yoro not playing in a central defensive trio (bar one game) nor Dean Huijsen doing so for Bournemouth weakens it.

As for the looming presence of Xabi Alonso, who completed an unbeaten, double-winning domestic season with a back three, well. Make up your own mind on that.

Another reason to think Liverpool could be heading down this systemic path is that they have recently been stockpiling young centre-backs. Last month, deals were either completed or agreed for the summer for Ifeanyi Ndukwe (17 years old), Mor Talla Ndiaye (18) and Noah Adekoya (19).

Career data is understandably scarce for these lads, but Ndukwe played on the left of a trio in his one UEFA Youth League appearance. Transfermarkt also suggests Ndiaye featured in a back three for Senegal’s under-18 side. Both were in back fours at the recent Under-17 World Cup, though, which is reportedly where they caught the eyes of scouts.

Even so, with this trio, Giovanni Leoni and Jacquet, Liverpool have the potential makings of a back three platoon for the next decade. As the Italian will remain out of action for some time, we’d better take a detailed look at the Rennes man to see how he could fit in to the Reds’ (new look?) side.