Chelsea and Rennes look to be locked in a potential saga involving Jeremy Jacquet that could run on for the remainder of the January transfer window.
The Chelsea owners have made it clear that they want a central defender before the January transfer window shuts, which has worked both for and against them.
It’s shown the supporters that the club are acting in the right way, chasing a signing that is very clearly needed given the current options available to Liam Rosenior.
However, it is also letting clubs know exactly what Chelsea plan to do, which allows them to try and rinse us for every extra £1 they possibly can, especially as it’s January.
This is exactly what we’re seeing with Jeremy Jacquet and Chelsea’s pursuit of him, with negotiations looking to go long into the window now.
How much would you be willing to pay for Jeremy Jacquet?💰
Rennes name Jeremy Jacquet price tag
Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images
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Chelsea may have to wait until the summer to sign Jeremy Jacquet
Rennes have already set their stall out by demanding that Chelsea pay around £60 million to sign the 20-year-old centre-back this month.
And it may have got a little bit more complicated, as journalist Florian Plettenberg now claims that it is possible that Rennes will only sell him in the summer, as Jacquet is considered too important for their push to qualify for the Champions League.
This comes after concrete negotiations were held between Chelsea and Stade Rennes regarding Jeremy Jacquet today (17th January 2026), as Chelsea push for a winter transfer.
A club-to-club agreement is needed first, and only then will Jacquet enter into talks with the Blues.
IMAGINE: You have the final say on Chelsea’s three-man centre-back shortlist. Who will you pick?
The three centre-back targets under consideration at Chelsea:
Jeremy Jacquet
Jacobo Ramon
Marcos Senesi
Đorđe Petrović and Marcos Senesi of Bournemouth
Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images
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Who can Chelsea target if Jeremy Jacquet doesn’t move this month?
Well, there are plenty of other options out there; they just vary in quality.
One of the Chelsea options floated around is Bournemouth’s Marco Senesi.
The defender has been a standout performer for Bournemouth during the 2025/26 season, and even has a Premier League-high four assists for a centre-back.
Other than Senesi and Jacquet, Jacobo Ramon of Como, Cesc Fabregas’ side, is the only defender that appears to be on the radar of Chelsea.
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