Chelsea has engaged in discussions with Rennes regarding a potential transfer for defender Jérémy Jacquet, according to sources from ESPN.
Initially, the Blues planned to maintain a low profile this month, with plans to bolster their squad in the summer. However, they have opted to hasten their strategy following increasing interest from competing clubs in the 20-year-old prospect.
Jacquet, who is a France under-21 international, is open to the idea of joining the Premier League. Nevertheless, Rennes is reportedly asking for over €60 million (£69.72m), leveraging their strong bargaining position since Jacquet’s contract extends until 2029.
Fortunately, discussions around personal terms are not expected to be challenging, and Chelsea plans to further negotiations with Rennes in the upcoming days.
A Rennes academy product, Jacquet made his professional debut in January 2024 and has participated in 16 matches this season. He was shown a red card during a 5-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain last month.
This pursuit of a center-back comes after former head coach Enzo Maresca was informed last summer that Chelsea would refrain from acquiring a central defender, despite a significant injury to Levi Colwill.
At that time, Chelsea was keen to sign Dean Huijsen, but he decided to join Real Madrid. Consequently, the club opted to delay pursuing top targets instead of acting on Maresca’s request.
Should the move for Jacquet not materialize, there are indications that Chelsea may revisit Bournemouth to discuss Marcos Senesi, whose contract expires at the season’s end. However, no communications between the clubs have taken place as of yet.
Chelsea is also monitoring Como defender Jacabo Ramón, who is attracting attention from Real Madrid as well.
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Chelsea’s activity in the transfer market is complicated by the need to adhere to sanctions related to a breach of UEFA’s financial regulations. They are required to maintain a positive financial balance concerning their player trading involving the Champions League squad, although club sources assert that there is room to acquire a player if necessary.
Colwill is making good progress following knee surgery and is expected to return before the season concludes.