Chelsea, Bayern and Liverpool in race to sign a young Ligue 1 CB.
Chelsea find themselves in a familiar spot: late in the January window, short on certainty, and staring at a problem area that can no longer stand ignored. With not long left before the deadline, the Blues now see themselves locked in a three-way battle with Liverpool and Bayern Munich for one of Europe’s most highly rated young defenders.
Centre-back has quietly become Chelsea’s soft spot this season. Injuries, rotation, and inconsistency have left Trevoh Chalobah as the most reliable option at the heart of the defence, which tells its own story. The Blues recalled Alex Anselmino from his loan spell to add numbers, but that move was more about depth than solving the underlying issue.
The player at the centre of this tug-of-war is Jeremy Jacquet of Rennes. Still only 20, Jacquet has built a serious reputation this season and has already been labelled by some as the “next William Saliba”. That is dangerous territory for hype, but the underlying appeal is obvious: calm in possession, aggressive in duels, and far more positionally mature than most defenders his age.
Chelsea, Bayern and Liverpool in race to sign Jeremy Jacquet.
Chelsea, Bayern and Liverpool in race to sign Jeremy Jacquet.
Ligue 1 Familiarity
According to The Guardian, Chelsea remain locked into their approach for the Frenchman but find themselves in a battle against Bayern Munich and Liverpool. Although, the understanding is that Chelsea are the frontrunners to sign Jacquet. Under new head coach Liam Rosenior, Chelsea are clearly trying to reshape the spine of the team with players who can grow into leadership roles rather than short-term fixes. He would not arrive as a panic buy, but as a long-term cornerstone, someone who could anchor the defence for years if developed properly.
The complication is timing and cost. Rennes are believed to value Jacquet at around £56m if Chelsea want to move now, which is a serious January premium. There is also an understanding that the French club would be far more open to selling in the summer, once the season is complete and they have time to plan a replacement. That puts Chelsea in a familiar dilemma: pay big now to fix a problem immediately, or wait and risk losing out to rivals.
Liverpool and Bayern hovering only sharpen that tension. Both clubs offer stability, elite-level development environments, and clear defensive identities. Chelsea may be frontrunners, but that means very little if they hesitate.
🚨🇫🇷 The race to sign Jeremy Jacquet ahead of summer transfer window, still ongoing.
Chelsea, Liverpool and FC Bayern are all in active talks as revealed…
…trying get the deal done now for next season 2026/27. Negotiations ongoing.
🎥 https://t.co/0nsmxfBWwQ pic.twitter.com/8N6CYp2ok6
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 27, 2026
Whether the Blues act now or hold fire until the summer, Jacquet feels like a statement target. Chelsea do not just need another centre-back. They need one they can trust, build around and stop revisiting this same conversation window after window.