Chelsea have opened talks to sign Rennais centre-back Jacquet in the winter transfer window.
The Blues have held discussions with Rennais and the 20-year-old player’s agent over a January move, but have been told a fee of more than £60 million will be required to seal the deal this month.
It is understood that the France U21 international is open to a transfer, yet journalists have learned that the deal faces fierce competition from other clubs.
The negotiations stem from an internal decision at Chelsea: to bring forward their plan to sign a centre-back by six months, from the summer to the current winter window.
The club will also consider other alternative options. Reports state that Chelsea are interested in Como defender Jacopo Ramoni – who is also on Real Madrid’s radar – as well as Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi.
Senesi, whose contract expires at the end of the season, is also a target for Juventus, and Bournemouth are yet to receive any official approach from Chelsea.
Chelsea looked to sign a centre-back for former manager Enzo Maresca last summer, but their top target Dean Huijsen opted to join Real Madrid instead.
The club evaluated other options but deemed none to be suitable replacements, which became one of the reasons for Maresca’s early struggles in charge and ultimately led to his mid-season departure.
The need to sign a ball-playing centre-back arose after Levi Colwill suffered a serious knee injury in pre-season. However, his recovery is progressing well and he is expected to return later this season, remaining a core player in Chelsea’s long-term plans.
In addition, the club is increasingly of the view that both Trevoh Chalobah and Tosin Adarabioyo will reach a crossroads in their careers this summer. With two years left on their respective contracts, they will either sign new deals or face the possibility of being sold.
