A new report claims there are suggestions that a Chelsea transfer target has already agreed terms on a long-term contract to join Liam Rosenior's side, despite interest from Liverpool and Arsenal.
Rosenior has outlined his transfer strategy for Chelsea's remaining weeks in the January window, prioritising defensive reinforcements while maintaining flexibility for opportunistic signings in other positions.
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior
The new head coach emphasized quality over quantity, insisting any arrivals must represent genuine improvements to his squad.
Rosenior revealed he is in daily communication with co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart about potential transfers, with ongoing discussions covering both incoming and outgoings.
The consultation process ensures the manager has input on all proposed deals while the sporting directors handle negotiations.
Centre-back remains Chelsea's most urgent requirement following Levi Colwill's season-ending ACL injury suffered in August.
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The manager is already making his presence known at Stamford Bridge.
Matt Law reports in The Telegraph that Chelsea plan to support Rosenior with a new centre-back in January, reversing the club's previous stance against mid-season defensive additions despite former manager Enzo Maresca's summer requests.
Bobby Vincent of football.london also reports that Jeremy Jacquet and Jacobo Ramon are two centre-backs of interest to Chelsea, with both names discussed internally between sporting directors and Rosenior.
However, it is Jacquet who has emerged as the frontrunner to join Chelsea in the last 24 hours.
jeremy-jacquet-stade-rennais
According to multiple sources, after Chelsea spoke with Jacquet's agent multiple times since Christmas, the Blues are now in direct club-to-club talks with Rennes over a deal for the 20-year-old.
That being said, the defender won't come cheap, with Ben Jacobs claiming that Rennes are poised to demand north of £55 million for his signature.
One advantage Chelsea could have is Jacquet's eagerness to join the west Londoners, as reported by French news outlet Ouest France today.
Jacquet keen to join Chelsea with long-term deal potentially agreed
According to their information, Rosenior's side are pushing hard to sign him, and the France Under-21 international is their top January target.
Jacquet
Chelsea have intensified their pursuit of Jacquet, and he is believed to be 'far from insensitive' to the prospect of a Stamford Bridge move, essentially meaning he is keen.
Ouest-France also moot suggestions that the Rennes sensation already has an agreement on terms over a long-term contract with Rosenuor's side.
Jacquet is also being closely followed by Liverpool and Arsenal, but it is Chelsea who have taken the leap in this competitive race for his signature.
The outlet also claims that Rosenior is personally a big fan of Jacquet, knowing the player well from his time in Ligue 1 with Strasbourg.
jeremy-jacquet-stade-rennais
While the Frenchman is still quite inexperienced and could cost nearly £60 million, Como scout Ben Mattinson says Jacquet has the potential to be a 'top five' centre-back in world football.
Jacquet's quality distribution out from the back and status as a 'powerful ball carrier' are enticing attributes for Chelsea, with the Premier League heavyweights looking to bolster their backline after nearly a year of searching for the right man.
Chelsea tried to sign Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth last year before Real Madrid beat them to the punch, and they've been linked with a host of centre-backs since then.
Make no mistake, it appears the club are determined to finally end their quest this month with the potential signing of Jacquet.
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