Chelsea have been carrying out checks on a £35m "monster", as they look to strengthen their options at centre-back.
Blues eyeing new signings with Rosenior poised to replace Maresca
BlueCo have wasted little time bringing in a replacement for Enzo Maresca, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealing Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior is set to take over this week, barring any last-minute hitches.
Wayne Rooney clearly believes his former Derby County assistant has the skill-set to succeed at Stamford Bridge, recently saying: "Liam was so important for me.
"He was incredible in his coaching ability. I was more of the manager and dealing with players and everything.
"So I learned a lot from him from that point of view and then I think he's done a great job as a whole."
Liam Rosenior with Strasbourg
However, the 41-year-old may want to stamp his own mark on the squad he is set to inherit, and a report from TEAMtalk has revealed Chelsea have been conducting extensive checks on Rennes centre-back Jeremy Jacquet.
Maresca had been eager to strengthen his backline, before departing on New Year's Day, but Jacquet could end up being Rosenior's first signing, should the Blues move swiftly, amid rival interest from Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Real Madrid.
Previous reports have detailed the Rennes defender has been valued at around £35m, so a deal would be reasonably expensive, but he fits the profile of a typical BlueCo signing, at just 20-years-old.
"Monster" Jacquet catching the eye in France
Earlier this season, scout Antonio Mango lauded the youngster as a "monster", while also praising him for his physical attributes, pace, athleticism and technical ability.
Not only that, but most importantly, the starlet is also very strong defensively, averaging 1.95 tackles per 90 over the past year, which places him in the 84th percentile compared to other centre-backs, with an average of 1.69 interceptions over the same period ranking him in the 95th percentile.
With Levi Colwill potentially set to spend the remainder of the season on the treatment table, having suffered an ACL injury back in August, signing a new centre-back in the current transfer window could be ideal.
levi-colwill-chelsea-premier-league
Jacquet has proven he could be up to the task, but signing yet another young player may be a concern, given Gary Neville's recent warning, with the Sky Sports pundit saying: "You genuinely can’t win anything with kids. That’s a fact. Alan Hansen was completely correct,
"Chelsea could use some more experienced people both inside the team and around the club. If you have young players playing, I also think you need a manager who has a lot of experience."