Insight from France 

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Chelsea have reportedly made Jérémy Jacquet their priority target during the January window and aim to beat competition from several European giants to his signature. It’s abundantly clear that Chelsea need to sign a new centre-back as it remains the weakest area of the squad. It’s understood that Chelsea initially aimed to make a statement defensive signing in the summer but they’ve decided to accelerate their plan and they want Jacquet. There has been speculation that the Blues could loan him back to Rennes until the end of the season to secure his signature ahead of their rivals.

The Stamford Bridge club are still in contention to secure Champions League qualification and could still win a trophy but Liam Rosenior wants a new centre-back. And Jacquet perfectly fits BlueCo’s transfer policy of acquiring the best young talents in the world. The 20-year-old has been exceptional in Ligue 1 this season for Rennes and Rosenior will know all about his potential from his time with Strasbourg. With insight from France, we’ve provided analysis on the talented Rennes defender.

Who is Jérémy Jacquet?

The Paris-born defender joined Rennes’ youth ranks in 2019 and made his professional debut against Nice in January 2024. Just days later, Jacquet was loaned out to Clermont to gain first-team experience in Ligue 1 but he was unable to help them avoid relegation. The centre-back remained at Clermont in Ligue 2 before Rennes paid over €1m to cancel the loan deal in January, so he could return. Jacquet has been a virtual ever-present since and he’s been a regular for France’s U21 and could push for a place in Didier Deschamps’ World Cup squad.

On Jacquet’s development, Ronan Caroff, Ligue 1 expert at Transfermarkt said: “In the past year, Jérémy Jacquet has continued to rise in hype, going from an early comeback of a Ligue 2 loan to rumours of a possible club record fee. In Rennes’ central defense that was fully rebuilt the previous winter, Jacquet is the option that coach Habib Beye relies the most on, and the third most used player behind goalkeeper Brice Samba and captain Valentin Rongier.”

Why Chelsea want Jérémy Jacquet

Jacquet possesses exceptional physical characteristics and he can dominate defenders in duels, so should acclimatise well to the Premier League. The Frenchman is also very assured in possession and he’s comfortable playing in a back-three or four. Naturally, there’s still room for improvement in Jacquet’s game and his tendency to try and dominate physically can lead to him being overly rash.

But is he ready to play for a leading Premier League club? “There’s still a significant gap between one year of solid Ligue 1 performances in the Premier League,” added Caroff. “Especially with such a big price tag for a 20 year old. He’s quite fast and good in aerial duels, which is compatible with the Premier League but I would say he’s probably still a bit fresh for such a big club, especially Chelsea who recycle players so often.”

The state of play with Chelsea interest

According to L’Equipe, Rennes have rejected an initial offer of around €50m for Jacquet. It’s understood that the Ligue 1 club want a club record fee to sanction a sale and their asking price is around €65m. It’s unclear whether Chelsea will be willing to match those demands as they have alternative targets but the deal remains a strong possibility this month. Arsenal, Real Madrid and Manchester United have all previously been linked but none of those clubs will make their move in January.

On January interest in Jacquet, Rennes head coach Beye said: “I believe Jeremy is very important for our objectives, and if he were to leave, we would have to lower those objectives, because he’s an essential player for us, one of the best in our team. We have to know how to resist this kind of approach.’ Jacquet remains one of the most exciting young defenders in Europe and a potential star of the future, who could be perfect for Chelsea.