Liverpool's New Defenders: Jacquet and Ndukwe Face Immediate Pressure
Andoni Iraola walked into Anfield already two signings up.
Before the Spaniard has the chance to put his own stamp on Liverpool’s squad, he inherits two defenders secured under Arne Slot – Jeremy Jacquet and Ifeanyi Ndukwe – and both could matter far sooner than originally planned.
Slot’s dismissal five days earlier and Iraola’s unveiling on Thursday marked a jarring change of direction at Liverpool. The context is even starker: Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate have all gone. Three pillars ripped out in one summer. A rebuild isn’t optional; it’s urgent.
Into that vacuum steps Jacquet, the £60million defender from Rennes, and Ndukwe, the towering teenager from Austria Vienna. Two prospects, two big bets on the future, thrust into a present that suddenly looks demanding.
Jacquet: £60m and no time to hide
Liverpool did not pay £60m in January for Jacquet to be a background project. At 20, the Frenchman was already regarded as one of the most highly rated young defenders in Europe. Shoulder surgery briefly paused his progress, but he is expected to be fit for pre-season, according to The Athletic. The timing suits Iraola perfectly.
Konate’s departure changes the equation. What might have been a gradual integration now looks like a straight route into the heart of the defence. Opportunity, yes. Also pressure.
Jacquet knows it. He spoke openly to Ouest-France about the decision to choose Liverpool and the weight that comes with the fee.
"I won't say it was a quick one, because I took my time with this big step but I quickly saw myself at Liverpool. I'll be 21 in July. For me, there's the sporting project and the personal project.
"At my age, I prioritise the sporting side. I'm focused on football. My agent told me there were two choices: either go to a mid-table club or skip the step altogether. Initially, we were leaning towards a mid-table club.
"But then I told him, 'If the biggest clubs in Europe are interested, we're not going to turn them down. They're there for a reason.' I spoke with the management; the club's history weighed heavily on my decision, but so did the project they offered me.
"Promising young players command quite high prices and of course, that adds pressure: am I worth that price or not? I think I have the minimum resources to go there. I'm going there to play as much as possible."
There is no hint of hiding in that language. No talk of easing in, no suggestion he expects to wait his turn. For a club suddenly short of defensive leaders, that mentality will appeal to Iraola.
Ndukwe: a giant for tomorrow, needed today?
Alongside Jacquet arrives Ifeanyi Ndukwe, 18, plucked from Austria Vienna after announcing himself on the global stage at the Under-17 World Cup. At 6ft 6in, he is impossible to miss, and his performances there dragged scouts from across Europe to his games as he helped drive Austria to the final.
Liverpool moved quickly. The signing fits a pattern: an aggressive push for the best young talent on the continent. Trey Nyoni from Leicester City, Rio Ngumoha from Chelsea, now Ndukwe from Austria Vienna – different profiles, same strategy.
Ndukwe is a long-term project, but the landscape has shifted. With senior defensive options thinned and a new head coach renowned for trusting and sharpening young players, the pathway from academy pitches to Anfield’s bright lights suddenly looks shorter.
Iraola’s kind of puzzle
For Iraola, this is familiar territory. At Bournemouth and previously at Rayo Vallecano, he built a reputation for improving young players, giving them structure and responsibility inside a high-energy, front-foot system.
Now he inherits a club that still expects to challenge for titles but must do so while retooling its core. Speaking to liverpoolfc.com, he did not try to dress up the attraction.
"You don't need a lot of things to get attracted by Liverpool.
"Liverpool is Liverpool. But obviously the atmosphere, the supporters, the club, the players, the chance for me to coach top-level players, the chance to fight for titles. I think it cannot be more attractive than this. It's difficult to find it. So, really excited to start."
Titles. Top-level players. That is the stage on which Jacquet and Ndukwe now arrive.
Liverpool’s summer will not be defined only by who Iraola signs next. It may hinge just as much on how quickly these two January bets grow into the roles a changing Anfield suddenly needs them to fill.
