One to watch: Jérémy Jacquet - Rennes' latest prodigy
Rennes found themselves in a curious situation back in January. The club had recruited heavily in the summer, bringing in a whole raft of players, including many centre-backs. Leo Ostigard, Mikayil Faye, and Mohamed Jaouab all joined the Breton club to reinforce the heart of the defence, managed by Julien Stéphan at the time.
It was a situation which allowed Jérémy Jacquet to head out on loan. Six months later, and despite that extensive recruitment drive, Rennes were so desperate to get him back that they paid Clermont Foot to cut the Frenchman's loan at the Ligue 2 side short. Everything he has done since has more than justified that decision.
Habib Beye, who brought the player back to the club and who gave him his chance over the second half of the last Ligue 1 McDonald's campaign, was never in doubt of the centre-back's potential. "He has a huge margin to grow, given his age. When we brought him back, we were convinced that he would be the player that you see right here, and he will be even better in a few months," he said upon Jacquet's return to his formative club.
He wasn't wrong. Jacquet went on to establish himself as an uncontestable starter under Beye last season, earning himself a spot in France's squad for the recent Euro U21 championship.
Remember his name: Jérémy Jacquet (20yo) @staderennais💎 pic.twitter.com/qZrpeFi8ae
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) August 18, 2025
His route to establishing himself at Rennes has been sinuous and non-linear, not just because of his loan to Clermont last season. The 20-year-old was dogged by injury issues as a youngster, which meant that he was not quickly picked up by one of Ligue 1 McDonald's elite sides. When he finally did come on to Rennes' radar, in the match that their scouts came to observe, he dislocated his shoulder.
However, Rennes, undeterred, returned, and what they saw from Jacquet the second time around convinced them to bring him into the fold.
Initially a midfielder due to his strong technique and particular propensity for a dribble, the 1.9m player has since dropped further down the pitch, where his anticipation and frame make him a strong all-round centre-back. It is there that his ball-playing abilities are also appreciated by Beye, who insists on a possession-based approach.
Jacqquet a 'dominant and easy' defender
Sébastien Bichard, who initially came across the player while assistant at Clermont, before coming on to join Beye's staff at Rennes, describes Jacquet as "dominant, easy, without ever being nonchalant."
He showed all of that in his display against Marseille in the Ligue 1 McDonald's curtain-raiser. The centre-back was a leader in the defence, ordering his back line and keeping OM at bay, despite their numerical disadvantage. His contribution helped Les Rennais to defy the odds and win 1-0, despite being down to 10 men from the 30th minute.
Rennes have a tendency to develop great players. Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Eduardo Camavinga, Mathys Tel: all have come through their academy in recent years. Like those aforementioned players, Jacquet is certainly a name to remember.
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