Arsenal are now genuine contenders to sign a "scarily talented" defender, who could be brought in as a replacement for Ben White.
White's future in north London up in the air
The Gunners ran out 3-2 winners against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night, in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final, and White played a major role in the victory, opening the scoring after just seven minutes.
The defender has been a first-team regular in the cup competitions, also starting in the 4-1 win against Portsmouth in the FA Cup, but he has been unable to force his way into Mikel Arteta's plans in the Premier League, having made just five appearances.
With the Englishman struggling for regular game time, there are now some doubts over his long-term future at the Emirates Stadium, and it recently emerged that Everton are plotting a move, and waiting to pounce on a potential loan deal.
Should White move on, Arteta will need to bring in a replacement, and a new report from TEAMtalk has revealed Arsenal are now genuine contenders to sign Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet, as they are huge fans of the Frenchman.
Jeremy Jacquet
Real Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea are also named as interested parties, with the French club prepared to wait until the summer before sanctioning a departure, as they believe a bidding war could break out.
As for White, the Gunners are willing to cash-in this summer, and the Rennes star is viewed as a 'high-class' replacement, having put in some impressive performances for the Ligue 1 side...
"Scarily talented" Jacquet could be exciting White heir
Scout Ben Mattinson is a real admirer of the 20-year-old, describing him as "scarily talented", and it is clear to see why, with the youngster regularly showcasing his ability to win back possession over the past year, while also impressing with his dribbling.
Jeremy Jacquet's key statistics Average per 90 (past year)
Tackles 1.95 (84th percentile)
Interceptions 1.69 (95th percentile)
Successful take-ons 0.34 (82nd percentile)
Much like White, the centre-back has also been backed to flourish at right-back too, with Mattinson adding: "Jacquet has a big stride and is an athletic carrier but also has good ball manipulation for his height.
"I can see him being a solid RB, overlapping to create cutbacks/crosses or tucking inside to form a back 3."
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White is a great back-up option to have, given that he is very experienced, making 165 Premier League appearances, but it would not be surprising if the 28-year-old wants to be playing more football at this stage of his career.
Should the four-time England international move on this summer, Jacquet could be an ideal replacement, and a deal could be relatively affordable, with a £35m price tag being touted.