Liverpool reach agreement with Stade Rennais to sign Jérémy Jacquet in the summer

Liverpool have reached an agreement with Stade Rennais for centre-back Jérémy Jacquet, for a fee of £55 million + £5 million in add-ons. The French defender was wanted by multiple clubs, including Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

Chelsea have been targeting the defender throughout January, but according to reports, the situation changed over the past 24 hours. Jacquet is set to undergo his medical with the Reds today, ahead of a pre-agreement transfer for the summer.

The 20-year-old centre-back has played 31 games for the Ligue 1 outfit, playing 19 games this season. The French defender will move to Anfield in the summer, possibly as a replacement for the out-of-contract Ibrahima Konaté. The current Liverpool defender scored at the weekend against Newcastle United, and he has been linked with moves abroad over recent months.

With his future uncertain, Liverpool have acted prior to the summer window to ensure they have cover for the position if Konaté does leave the club.

During the summer of 2025, Liverpool completed the signing of Italian defender Giovanni Leoni, but he injured his ACL on his debut for the Reds against Southampton, seeing him sidelined for a lengthy period of time. The 19-year-old played 81 minutes of his debut at Anfield before coming off. He has not featured for Liverpool since his debut, which was back on 23 September.

Marc Guéhi was also a centre-back target for Arne Slot's team during the summer window, but the deal fell through due to Crystal Palace failing to bring in a replacement in the latter stages of the window.