Liverpool are absolutely in the race to sign Jeremy Jaquet, as transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed that the battle for the French defender has reached a “very final stage”.
Chelsea have long been seen as front-runners, but the Reds have emerged as a serious threat to hijack the deal as negotiations intensify just 24 hours before February’s transfer deadline.
Romano says Liverpool’s interest is not a last-minute whim. Regarding X, he writes:
“Liverpool are absolutely in this race, not from today or yesterday. As it became clear, it all started 20 days ago. Chelsea have also been in negotiations for several weeks.”
Liverpool and Chelsea face off to sign Jeremy Jaquet
The two Premier League giants are currently locked in a direct tug-of-war over the 20-year-old centre-back, who is said to be one of Ligue 1’s most promising defensive talents.
Bayern Munich had previously been mentioned, but Romano has suggested that a move to England remains a clear path as the German champions are currently “unlikely” to pursue a deal.
Chelsea have reportedly already agreed personal terms with the player, but Richard Hughes and his Liverpool squad are capitalizing on their long-standing interest to tip the scales.
Rennes are holding out with a transfer fee in the region of €50m (about £43m) and the next few hours will decide which club gets the ‘green light’ from the French side.
Not a solution to the present, but a signature for the future.
However, despite the late-night excitement, Arne Slot has some serious pitfalls. Jeremy Jaquet is under contract until July 2026, so he won’t be able to immediately help Liverpool with their current defensive crisis.
Rennes remain adamant that they will not allow him to leave in the winter, insisting that even if an agreement is reached at this point, the player must remain in France until the end of the season.
The news is a bitter pill to swallow for Liverpool fans who were hoping for a new centre-back to arrive to replace the injured Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni.
While Jaquet is a big investment in the future, he won’t provide any help in winning a title over the next four months.
