Chelsea Launch Pursuit of Record-Breaking Centre Back Deal
Chelsea have allegedly reached personal agreement with Rennes defender Jérémy Jacquet concerning a January transfer but must still negotiate a transfer fee acceptable to both parties.
Following Liam Rosenior's arrival in west London, reports surfaced that the Blues had chosen to pursue a new centre-back this month. Previous manager Enzo Maresca had specifically highlighted this problematic position during the summer after Levi Colwill's ACL injury, only to see his concerns firmly dismissed by Chelsea's transfer team.
Having observed their team's defensive struggles during the campaign's opening half—the Blues maintain a lower-half record for expected goals against, confronting the highest average shot quality throughout the league—there seems to have been a shift in thinking.
Jacquet was originally presented as one of three possible targets for Chelsea. However, Fabrizio Romano's enthusiastic updates suggest that the French 20-year-old has quickly overtaken Como's Jacobo Ramón and Bournemouth's Marcos Senesi.
Indeed, Chelsea are believed to have already reached an understanding with Jacquet regarding his potential contract terms at Stamford Bridge. The player, who was formerly connected with Arsenal, is reportedly "eager," meaning the sole obstacle concerns his valuation.
Rennes are allegedly seeking €65 million (£56.4 million, $75.5 million) which would establish Jacquet as the club's record sale, exceeding the €60 million Manchester City spent on Jérémy Doku in summer 2023.
Chelsea's offer has not yet been disclosed, but is believed to remain below that ambitious figure. Only two January signings have ever cost the Blues more.
Jacquet Fits Record-Breaking Chelsea Profile
Jacquet Fits Record-Breaking Chelsea Profile
Chelsea may have abandoned their original reluctance toward a new defender this month, but they were never going to abandon the recruitment philosophy that left Maresca lamenting a shortage of experience.
At 20, Jacquet matches the criteria of exclusively youthful acquisitions. Co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart have not invested in a single player over 25 since joining during the 2022–23 campaign. Rosenior possesses the Premier League's youngest squad and has attempted to celebrate this youth by comparing his current group to Manchester United's legendary Class of '92.
Setting aside the caliber of those young talents at Old Trafford, players like David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes had a foundation of veteran leaders to support them. Chelsea decidedly do not.
Saturday's tense 2–0 victory over Brentford marked Chelsea's 60th straight Premier League fixture without a player aged 30 or older. No team in the competition's history can match such a youthful streak.
Throughout this sequence of matches, Chelsea maintain the fifth-best record in the Premier League, nearly 20 points behind Arsenal and Liverpool while also trailing Manchester City and Aston Villa.