Chelsea have appointed ex-Hull City boss Liam Rosenior as their new head coach.
The Blues confirmed on Tuesday morning that the 41-year-old had taken up the role, replacing Enzo Maresca who departed Stamford Bridge on New Year’s Day after 18 months in charge.
Rosenior won’t be in charge for Chelsea’s visit to west London rivals Fulham on Wednesday night, with the Englishman’s first game set to be an FA Cup third round tie against Championship side Charlton Athletic at The Valley on Saturday evening.
In the meantime, it has emerged that Chelsea are facing serious competition in the race to sign a highly-rated young defender.
As reported by TEAMtalk, the Blues are interested in Rennes’ Jeremy Jacquet but will face competition from several sides in the race to sign the player.
Chelsea are said to have carried out extensive scouting on the 20-year-old, having identified him as a possible candidate to bolster their defensive options.
Jacquet has attracted interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs (Photo: Icon Sport/Alamy)
The report claims that fellow Premier League sides Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United are all also interested in the Frenchman, who is widely regarded as one of the most promising young defenders in Europe.
Spanish giants Real Madrid are also said to be interested in the centre-back, who has made 28 senior appearances for Rennes since graduating from their youth system.
So far this term he has featured in 16 of Rennes’ 17 Ligue 1 matches, with his only absence due to a suspension after picking up too many yellow cards.
Jacquet’s eye-catching performances in the French top flight haven’t gone unnoticed, and the report suggests that Chelsea could have to act fast in their efforts to sign the player considering the significant interest from other clubs.
The defender’s current contract with Rennes is set to run until the end of the 2028/29 campaign.