Rennes star Jeremy Jacquet will join Liverpool after the Merseyside club secured a deal with the French team for the 20-year-old defender, beating Chelsea in the transfer race
22:35, 01 Feb 2026Updated 22:52, 01 Feb 2026
Jeremy Jacquet is heading to Anfield
Jeremy Jacquet is heading to Anfield(Image: Photo by Franco Arland/Getty Images)
Liverpool has agreed an initial $75 million (£55 million) deal to sign 20-year-old center-back Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes - but the player will not be joining Arne Slot's squad in January.
Slot is in desperate need of defensive reinforcements after losing Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley to season-ending injuries. Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez have also picked up injuries during recent games, leaving Liverpool short at the back.
The Reds were hoping to complete a late deal for Sunderland defender Lutsharel Geertruida, who is currently in the middle of a season-long loan deal at the Stadium of Light. Yet it's believed that Sunderland is unwilling to release Geertruida in January.
READ MORE: Lutsharel Geertruida transfer 'not expected' after Liverpool interest in Sunderland starREAD MORE: Steve McManaman makes his feelings clear on Mohamed Salah after Arne Slot decision
There's still time for Liverpool to bring in another defender, with the transfer window not closing until 7pm local time on Monday. There was considerable speculation surrounding Jacquet's future following his breakthrough season in France with Rennes.
Liverpool faced competition from Chelsea for the defender's signature, but a deal has been agreed with the Anfield side. It contains about $7 million (£5 million) of add-ons, meaning the total package could be worth $82 million (£60 million).
The French team is refusing to sell Jacquet in this transfer window. Instead, the proposed move to Liverpool will not go through until the summer.
Jacquet will stay in France until the summer
Jacquet will stay in France until the summer(Image: Getty Images)
While that's good news for the future, it still leaves Slot with few players to choose from at the back. Liverpool's manager needs all the help he can get, with the team's season hanging in the balance.
The Reds are sixth in the Premier League table, two points behind Manchester United in fourth, casting doubt over their chance of qualifying for next season's Champions League.
Liverpool is still in contention to win this year's Champions League, having progressed to the round of 16.
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Slot's players have also reached the fourth round of the FA Cup, having been knocked out of the Carabao Cup earlier in the campaign.
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Jacquet has made 18 appearances in Ligue 1 this season for Rennes. There's talk of him being an outside candidate to make France's squad for this year's World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
"I think we are trying to strengthen the squad and not trying to weaken it," Slot said when asked about Liverpool's winter transfer business following the 4-1 victory against Newcastle.
"But yeah, 48 hours to go. Let's see where the window ends up."