Rennes stance tested as Liverpool and Chelsea vie for 20-year-old defensive gem Jeremy Jacquet | OneFootball

Liverpool have joined Chelsea in the race to sign promising Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet.

Chelsea have been in negotiations with Rennes over a deal to sign Jacquet this month, but have so far failed to meet the French side's asking price. Rennes value Jacquet at more than the club-record €64m (£55.4m) sum that took Jeremy Doku from France to Manchester City in 2024.

Liam Rosenior wants to sign a centre-back this month andChelsea have already had one proposal for Jacquet turned down. The West London side are keen to get a deal done before the closure of the January transfer window, with Chelsea aware of interest from rival clubs.

Fabrizio Romano is reporting that Liverpool and Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are also interested. Liverpool are considering centre-back options, following a failed move for Marc Guehi last summer. Guehi has since signed for Manchester City and Liverpool are now assessing the market for alternatives.

Virgil van Dijk will turn 35 in the summer and has endured an up-and-down campaign, while Ibrahima Konate's contract expires at the end of the season. So far, there has been no progress on agreeing fresh terms.

There is also uncertainty aroundLiverpool's other centre-back options. Joe Gomez has attracted transfer interest from AC Milan, while summer signing Giovanni Leoni sustained an ACL injury on his Liverpool debut in September. The Italian is not expected to return this season.

Jacquet is considered one of the best defensive prospects in Europe. The 20-year-old has become a regular at Rennes and the club are reluctant to sell mid-season. However, Rennes are willing to invite offers for the defender in the summer.

Rennes manager Habib Beye recently discussed the transfer interest in Jacquet and outlined his intent to keep the player.

"I believe Jérémy is very important to our objectives, and if he were to leave, we would have to lower those objectives, because he’s a key player for us, one of the best on our team.

We have to be able to resist this kind of approach. There are several factors beyond my control in this matter. We’ll see what happens in the coming days."