Chelsea’s intriguing first January transfer could be a gifted £35m centre-backplaceholder image
Chelsea’s intriguing first January transfer could be a gifted £35m centre-back | Getty Images
Chelsea have been linked with a January transfer deal for a young defender who's making a lot of noise in France
If rumours suggesting that Chelsea could be in the market for a new centre-back this January prove to be true, then there would be a certain irony to it – after all, the failure to sign a replacement for Levi Colwill this summer was one of the first reasons that Enzo Maresca and the board fell out.
But even though signing a defender would look a lot like shutting the stable door after the head coach has bolted, there are several fresh stories doing the rounds which link the Blues with a bid for Stade Rennais’ rising star Jérémy Jacquet – but who is Jacquet, would he be a difference-maker at Stamford Bridge, and how realistic is it that they sign him this January?
Why Jérémy Jacquet could be a Chelsea target in the January transfer window
Several recent stories have covered Jacquet’s future with Chelsea one of a small handful of elite clubs alleged to be interested in striking a deal for him – with TeamTalk and The Daily Mirror among a number of media outlets to make the link between Liam Rosenior’s new charges and the 20-year-old.
Although still very young, Jacquet has firmly established himself as a regular starter at Rennes, earned his first call-ups to the French Under-21 sides and has come to exemplify the modern up-and-coming centre-back on many levels – he’s technically proficient and confident on the ball in a way that makes his both press resistant and a useful asset for a team that wants their defence to be involved in sparking counter-attacks and pushing high upfield.
Jacquet has plenty of the more traditional attributes a centre-half might be expected to have, too. He’s excellent in one-on-one situations and his judgement in the tackle is typically excellent, and he’s blessed with impressive positional instincts as well – despite his relative inexperience, it’s relatively uncommon for him to be caught out of position or to get stranded on the wrong side of an attacking player.
That doesn’t mean that there aren’t occasional lapses of concentration or sense which could be attributed to his age – a more mature player might have avoided a recent second yellow card against PSG for a frustrated and ungainly swipe from behind at Gonçalo Ramos – but his awareness is generally excellent for a player of his age, and he doesn’t seem likely to be overawed or outgunned at Premier League level should he make the move to London.
He's also tall and strong enough at 6’2” to be effective in the air – he wins around 70% of his aerial duels with Rennes – that he can fairly be described an all-round quarter-back, even if it’s more modernist traits and his ball-playing skills which first catch the eye, and which are likely to be a large part of the reason that Chelsea appear to be keen on him. Not that they’re alone in that…
Will Chelsea sign Jacquet this January?
Just because Chelsea may have an interest in Jacquet – and it must be noted that the story has not yet been corroborated by truly reliable sources – doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll be able to sign him, of course. For starters, several other teams seem to be keen.
Arsenal and Liverpool are both said to be among them, and Real Madrid’s name has been mentioned too by some sources, although they’re expected to be more concerned with finding defensive reinforcements in the summer than they are this winter.
Arsenal, however, have been linked with Jacquet on a number of occasions since the summer and certainly seem to be keeping closet tabs on him, even if a bid has yet to materialise. They may well prefer to wait, too, especially given that a January deal would not come cheap, but if Chelsea were to force their hand then they should be in a position to strike a deal of their own.
Rennes, for their part, don’t seem to be keen to sell one of their regular starters mid-season. They are sixth in the Ligue 1 table at the time of writing and firmly in the mix for a Champions League place, and having only just tied Jacquet down to a new four-year contract last summer they have both the leverage to keep him and good reason to do so, even as a club whose financial model is based around developing and selling young talent.
Stories from the autumn which speculated about Premier League interest in Jacquet suggested that he might cost a suitor around €40m (approximately £35m), but that was speculative at best and Rennes may well be in a position to demand even more if a side like Chelsea really wants to force the issue. A club that wants to buy the young Frenchman will either have to be patient or pay through the nose.
Perhaps Chelsea will be prepared to do the latter. The performance of their relatively inexperienced defence has been under the microscope of late, and there is a clear argument for bringing in reinforcements in an area of relative weakness amid their own battle for European qualification.
And while signing yet another youngster to achieve that might not seem like the obvious way forward, Chelsea are not noted for their ability to resist the temptation to sign a rising starlet when more experienced options might be available. With a transfer policy which suggests a borderline addiction to youth and to the search for the next big thing, Jacquet certainly makes sense as a potential transfer target for them.
As it stands, a January deal looks relatively unlikely – but there are several weeks of the transfer window left to play with and much could change, especially if there is enough interest in an immediate deal to persuade Jacquet to start pushing for a move himself. Whether Jacquet’s future is settled this month or at some other stage in the future, however, Chelsea’s involvement will be interesting to watch. Jacquet is a very modern defender with a great deal of potential. Precisely the sort of player that BlueCo adore.
Continue Reading