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LIVERPOOL INJURY BLOW: WELLITY LUCKY RULED OUT FOR MONTHS AS DEFENSIVE OPTIONS VANISH

With four senior defenders out and Wellity Lucky injured, Liverpool’s top-four hopes are at risk. Get the latest injury news.

Liverpool Injury Blow: Wellity Lucky ruled out for months as defensive options vanish
The Spanish-born starlet Liverpool just lost for eight weeks

Liverpool’s defensive headaches just got worse. Wellity Lucky, the young centre-back, is out for at least two months with a hamstring injury. That’s another blow for Arne Slot, who’s already dealing with a shrinking pool of options at the back.

Lucky, born in Spain but playing for England’s youth teams, has just turned 20. He made his senior debut in the Carabao Cup loss to Crystal Palace in October, and he’s been on the bench five times in the Premier League this season without getting on the pitch. He’s looked good in the UEFA Youth League, but let’s be honest, he probably wasn’t going to start anytime soon. Still, his absence stings, especially with Liverpool’s injury list growing longer by the week.

Right now, four first-team defenders are out. Joe Gomez had to come off in the 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth after he clashed with Alisson trying to stop Evanilson’s goal. Ibrahima Konate missed that match following his father’s death and sat out the Champions League win over Marseille as well. Nobody’s sure if he’ll be back in time for Qarabag on Wednesday.

Things aren’t much better elsewhere. Giovanni Leoni, who arrived from Parma in the summer, tore his ACL on his debut in September. He won’t play again this season. Conor Bradley is also done for the year after wrecking his knee against Arsenal.

Wataru Endo filled in for Gomez at Bournemouth and might have to cover at centre-back again. Ryan Gravenberch has even played there a few times under Slot, though that’s hardly ideal.

There’s one bit of clarity: Andrew Robertson isn’t leaving for Tottenham this month, despite some early talks. Kostas Tsimikas is still out on loan at Roma.

And about bringing in fresh blood? Not happening, at least for now. Marc Guehi, who almost joined from Crystal Palace in the summer, just signed for Manchester City instead. Liverpool has no plans to sign another defender in January. So, for the next few months, Slot has to make do with what he’s got.

WHY DID JEREMY JACQUET SNUB CHELSEA FOR LIVERPOOL? THE SECRET VIRGIL CONNECTION

Liverpool secure Jeremy Jacquet in a £60m Deadline Day coup. The 20-year-old chose Anfield over Chelsea for a summer move.

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Liverpool scouted Jeremy Jacquet in secret before the huge £60m bid

Liverpool turned heads on Transfer Deadline Day when Arne Slot jumped into the mix and snapped up one of Europe’s brightest young talents.

The Reds dropped £55 million up front—plus another potential £5 million in add-ons—to bring in Jeremy Jacquet. He’ll link up with his new teammates this summer. Chelsea hovered around the deal too, but Jacquet chose Liverpool over the Blues.

French football pundit Julian Laurens isn’t shy about his excitement. He told Sky Sports, “He’s the real deal. Sure, he’s only 20. He hasn’t played for France yet, and you won’t find him in the Champions League or Europa League. But he’s already shown so much. Last season, Rennes brought him back from a second division loan, and this year, playing under Habib Beye, he’s just kept improving. You can’t miss with this kid. He’s going to be special.

“He reminds me of when William Saliba broke through at Saint-Etienne, or even Wesley Fofana. The point is, if you really value untapped talent, you’re willing to pay big. And Liverpool just did—because Jacquet’s that promising.”

Jacquet grew up in Bondy, the same Paris suburb that produced Kylian Mbappe, William Saliba, and Randal Kolo Muani. It’s up in Seine-Saint-Denis, northeast of central Paris.

His football education, though, happened at Rennes out in Brittany. He came up through their academy, playing alongside guys like Desire Doue—who won the Champions League with PSG—and Tottenham’s Mathys Tel.

Back then, Jacquet idolised Paul Pogba, but once they moved him to centre-back, he started looking up to Virgil van Dijk.

He made his first-team debut for Rennes in January 2024, then went on loan to Clermont Foot 63, who were fighting relegation in Ligue 1. Even after they went down, Rennes kept him out on loan because he did so well with the French U19 squad.

But in February 2025, Rennes called him back, and he’s been a regular for Habib Beye ever since.

Asked about his playing style, Jacquet said, “I’m calm on the ball—maybe I look a little nonchalant, but I’m always focused. What makes me stand out is playing out from the back and breaking lines with the right pass.”

JEREMY JACQUET UPDATE: FABRIZIO ROMANO CONFIRMS LIVERPOOL INTEREST BUT RENNES DEMAND CLUB-RECORD FEE

Liverpool is battling Chelsea and Bayern Munich for Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet as Arne Slot faces a mounting injury crisis.

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Liverpool is in advanced talks for Jeremy Jacquet, but Rennes hold out for the summer

Liverpool really wants to sign Jeremy Jacquet this month, but with Chelsea, Man United, and Arsenal also circling, it looks like they’ll have to wait until summer.

They just locked in a spot in the Champions League last 16 after cruising past Qarabag FK, so things are looking good on that front. This season, they’ve already faced a couple of those big clubs—snatching a last-gasp win over Atletico thanks to Van Dijk’s 92nd-minute header, but coming up short with a 1-0 loss to Galatasaray in Turkey.

On Wednesday, Ryan Gravenberch ended up playing centre-back because Joe Gomez is out injured, and Ibrahima Konate is still away after his father passed away. They're really stretched at the back, especially with Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni both dealing with long-term injuries. The club decided not to go after Marc Guehi this month, which let Manchester City snap him up for under £30 million.

Now, Liverpool is eyeing Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet. L’Equipe reported in January that Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Man United, Arsenal, and Liverpool all want him. Fabrizio Romano gave an update, saying Liverpool would love to get the deal done now, but Rennes just don’t want to sell until summer. So, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Bayern are all talking to Rennes and Jacquet’s people, but for now, it’s a waiting game.

With all these injuries piling up, people are wondering if Liverpool might try to bring in someone before the window closes. Arne Slot responded, saying the club always tries to make smart decisions, thinking about both the short and long term. That’s why they focus on signing young talent who can still develop—sometimes you just have to be patient and trust the process.

He pointed out that Liverpool doesn’t have a massive squad packed with four right-backs, a dozen midfielders, or a handful of strikers. They need to be clever about their moves, balancing immediate needs with future plans.

As for the latest on injuries, Slot said they’ll see how Jeremie Frimpong is doing—maybe he won’t be fit for Saturday, but he could be ready soon after. With just one game a week coming up, injuries should ease up a bit, but you never know with football.

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