Arne Slot has been dealt a huge setback looking ahead to the summer, as a high-profile Liverpool addition is now set to undergo surgery, which has ended his 2025/26 season abruptly.
Liverpool have endured a seriously topsy-turvy 2024/25 campaign, with the Reds way off the top of the table, after clinching the Premier League in style during the Dutchman’s debut season.
Thankfully, the reigning top-flight champions have turned a corner in recent weeks, with an upturn in form – which has seen them only lose twice in 2026 to date – meaning they’re in the driver’s seat, arguably, when it comes to their ongoing Champions League aspirations.
Slot should be commended for how he’s managed to turn around proceedings, when others might well have punched the panic button, with the wins still coming their way, even as the likes of first-team star Florian Wirtz have had to watch on from the sidelines through injury.
In truth, the entire season has been marred by frustrating injury setbacks, with club record signing Alexander Isak still in the treatment room, while fellow summer signing Jeremie Frimpong has also had recurring hamstring issues to contend with.
Even one new signing, who is yet to link up with Slot’s camp, has had their own injury difficulties to stomach as of late, with surgery now required for the £60m buy, before he moves to Anfield imminently.
Liverpool’s summer spending – last five windows:
| Summer Window | Total spend |
| 2025 | £442m |
| 2024 | £36m |
| 2023 | £154m |
| 2022 | £74m |
| 2021 | £56m |
The new Liverpool signing facing a long layoff
Liverpool have already kick-started their notorious wild spending by signing this now injured star, with a weighty £762m splashed out on fresh signings over the last five summer windows.
He isn’t quite on the same level as the aforementioned Isak, who cost a staggering £125m to win at the death of the last summer window, but Jeremy Janquet still has an eye-catching price tag next to his name of £60m, considering he is only 20 years of age.
It was certainly a gamble; therefore, long before Jaquet pulled up with a serious shoulder injury for Rennes last month, which now looks to need surgery to correct.
Thankfully, the promising Frenchman should be back fit for Slot’s men during pre-season, if all goes to plan with his lengthy layover.
When he gets past this worrying situation, the 6-foot-2 battler will surely be viewed as a long-term part of the defensive puzzle in the years to follow, with ESPN journalist Julien Laurens even going as far as to state that he become “like a Virgil Van Dijk” if given apt time to excel at Anfield.
Liverpool’s senior defensive options:
| Player | Age |
| Virgil Van Dijk | 34 |
| Joe Gomez | 28 |
| Ibrahima Konate | 26 |
Why Janquet could be a great signing
While Van Dijk is the clear benchmark to hit at Liverpool when it comes to the cream of the crop of defenders, the outstanding Dutchman isn’t getting any younger, now, at 34 years of age.
Moreover, with Ibrahima Konate yet to be tied down to an extended deal, it makes sense for Liverpool to go all out to snap up Janquet as a long-term investment option, with the 20-year-old already proving he can deal with the heat of a major top-flight division, in Ligue 1.
Even as Rennes has suffered some indifferent form this season, the young titan has continued to stand out, with five clean sheets coming his way from 19 games in the French top-flight.
Against Lille in January, the number 97 was near faultless, when only misplacing four of his 74 passes on the day, alongside winning a valiant six tackles and duels combined.
Hopefully for Liverpool’s sake, he can kick on even more when he calls the Premier League home next season, as he bounces back from requiring surgery effortlessly.
