Jeremy Jacquet transfer news: Liverpool reach verbal agreement to sign Chelsea target in deal worth up to £60m
Jeremy Jacquet was a target for Chelsea but they are set to recall Mamadou Sarr and keep Josh Acheampong; Liverpool are light at centre-back and Ibrahima Konate's contract expires at the end of the season; Jacquet is set to join Liverpool in the summer
Sunday 1 February 2026 23:35, UK
Liverpool have reached a verbal agreement for the transfer of Rennes centre-back Jeremy Jacquet worth up to £60m.
The 20-year-old, who Chelsea have been trying to sign, is set to move to Anfield in the summer.
Liverpool have agreed to pay a fixed fee of £55m plus a potential £5m in performance-related add-ons.
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Jacquet is set to have his medical with Liverpool on Deadline Day.
Chelsea offered exactly the same deal as Liverpool but over the past 48 hours, when it became apparent that Mamadou Sarr would be returning to Chelsea and Josh Acheampong was staying, the player changed his mind and decided to move to Liverpool.
It is believed he is likely to play more regularly there in the long term as Chelsea's squad is overloaded with young centre-backs.
The Blues currently have Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Axel Disasi, Aaron Anselmino and Jorrel Hato in their first-team squad. Levi Colwill could return from injury before the end of the season and Sarr is set to return from his loan at Strasbourg.
However, Disasi has not played for Chelsea this season and is expected to leave on Monday's transfer deadline, while Anselmino is taking Sarr's place on loan at Strasbourg after coming back from Borussia Dortmund.
Liverpool are not as blessed with options at centre-back. Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are their only fit senior players in that position, with Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni injured.
Konate's contract expires at the end of the season and he could leave for free in the summer. Jacquet is being signed after Liverpool's Deadline Day move for Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace last summer collapsed at the last minute.
Man City signed Guehi from Palace for £20m in this transfer window, six months before his contract expired. Liverpool were keen on him in the summer on a free transfer, but not at the price City paid in January.
Laurens: Jacquet is the real deal
French football expert Julien Laurens:
"He's the real deal. I know he's only 20, he hasn't played for France and he hasn't played in the Champions League or Europa League.
"He has a long way to go but he's been impressive last season, after they [Rennes] called him back from his loan in the second division, and this season, with Habib Beye.
"You can't get it wrong. He is going to be amazing.
"He reminds me of when William Saliba burst onto the scene in France with Saint-Etienne, or Wesley Fofana.
"It's about how much you value that potential and talent. You would pay a lot of money for someone who hasn't really proved much. It's a lot of money for such a young player."
