Liverpool are set to sign Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet for £55million plus add-ons in the summer after beating Chelsea and Bayern Munich, viewing him as a more valuable acquisition than Marc Guehi
Jeremy Jacquet during the Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Stade Rennais (Rennes, SRFC) at Parc des Princes stadium.
Jeremy Jacquet is closing in on a move to Liverpool(Image: Jean Catuffe, Getty Images)
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Liverpool regard Jeremy Jacquet as a more worthwhile long-term investment than Marc Guehi, following the Reds' agreement to secure the 20-year-old Rennes defender this summer. The Reds are poised to sign the France Under-21 international for £55million plus £5m in add-ons at the end of the season, having held discussions with the Ligue 1 outfit over the weekend.
The Reds have outmanoeuvred Chelsea and Bayern Munich to land the highly-regarded centre-back, who arrived on Merseyside on Monday morning and is expected to finalise the paperwork for his blockbuster transfer to Anfield. There is also speculation that Manchester United made their interest known over the weekend.
Under the terms of the deal, Jacquet would remain with Rennes for the remainder of the campaign before joining Liverpool in the summer. He would become a crucial component of a defensive overhaul that began with the capture of teenager Giovanni Leoni from Parma for an initial £26m, although the youngster has featured just once for the Reds after sustaining an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury on his debut.
It's understood that Jacquet was keen to stay at Rennes for the rest of the season to assist in securing European qualification. They currently occupy a Conference League spot in sixth place in the Ligue 1 standings.
Rennes are also unwilling to part with Jacquet in January, having already lost 18-year-old striker Kader Meite to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal last week. Personal terms aren't anticipated to pose any issues for Jacquet, who has approved a switch to the Reds despite attention from other clubs.
If a deal is completed as anticipated, Jacquet would join the ranks of promising young talents who moved to the Reds following Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Leoni's arrivals last summer. Liverpool had hoped to secure Marc Guehi, but a £35million transfer from Crystal Palace fell through on deadline day, with the England centre-back eventually joining Manchester City during the January window.
Jeremy Jacquet during the UEFA Under21 EURO qualifier match between Switzerland and France.
Liverpool are closing in on a deadline day move for Jeremy Jacquet. (Image: Daniela Porcelli, Getty Images)
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Yet it seems the Reds aren't disappointed to have struck an agreement with Jacquet whilst missing out on Guehi. According to The Athletic, Liverpool regard Jacquet as a more worthwhile long-term acquisition than Guehi within their strategy, explaining their determination to land the Rennes player.
They're attempting to construct a squad for future years, having recruited eight first-team players aged 25 and under over the past 18 months. With Jacquet set to arrive in the summer, the Reds aren't expected to bring in a first-team player before Monday's 7pm cut-off, despite Arne Slot suggesting possible additions on Saturday.
Speaking following the 4-1 victory over Newcastle, Slot said: "I think we are trying to strengthen the squad and not trying to weaken it. But yeah, 48 hours to go. Let's see where the window ends up."
Jacquet has featured 19 times for Rennes this campaign, contributing to five clean sheets. He was in the starting XI for Saturday's emphatic 4-0 loss to European competitors Monaco.
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