Jeremy Jacquet of Stade Rennais
Jeremy Jacquet of Stade Rennais
Liverpool have agreed a deal with Rennes to sign highly-rated centre-back Jeremy Jacquet in the summer. The Reds have negotiated a pre-agreement worth an initial £55million plus £5m in add-ons for the 20-year-old having held talks with the French side over the weekend.
Jacquet has been a strong target for Chelsea, who also held discussions with Rennes last month, while Manchester United and Arsenal have also had a long-term interest in the player.
However, the France Under-21 international now looks poised to commit his future to the champions, with reports in France claiming the defender has been impressed with the project proposed by
As part of the agreement, Jacquet would spend the rest of the season with Rennes before linking up with Liverpool to form a key part of a defensive rebuild that started last year with the signing of teenage Parma centre-back Giovanni Leoni for an initial £26m.
It's understood Jacquet wants to stay at Rennes for the remainder of the season to help them secure European qualification. They currently stand in sixth place and a Conference League berth.
There is in practice a chance Chelsea or another club could make a higher bid for Jacquet before Monday evening's transfer deadline and then test the resolve of the player to remain in France until the summer.
But Rennes are believed to not be keen to lose Jacquet this month having already agreed the sale of another young player, 18-year-old forward Kader Meite, to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal last week.
It means Liverpool are now in a strong position to complete the transfer with personal terms not expected to be a problem.
Jacquet has started 18 of 20 league games for Rennes this season while missing the other two through suspension. He made his breakthrough last term after two spells on loan at Clermont Foot.
Liverpool have been expected to be in the market for centre-backs at the end of the season. As it stands, Ibrahima Konate is due to leave on a free transfer with no resolution as yet over talks regarding a new contract, while captain Virgil van Dijk turns 35 in July and Joe Gomez has suffered fitness issues during the last 18 months.
They had eyed taking over Lutsharel Geertruida's season-long loan at Sunderland from RB Leipzig as a short-term solution to injury concerns at right-back and centre-back,