The winter transfer market is slowly heating up, and a young central defender is increasingly coming into focus. Chelsea FC are looking at a solution for the defense, which FC Bayern is also said to have in mind for the summer.
The pace is picking up in England: according to information from transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea have held direct talks with Stade Rennes in recent days, with the Premier League club working on a potential deal for central defender Jérémy Jacquet.
According to Romano, the 20-year-old is part of a shortlist of three for the Londoners‘ central defense in January, with Chelsea hoping to beat other top clubs such as Munich, who could only look for a new defender in the summer.
The Frenchman has also long been an issue at FC Bayern, with Sky reporting that Jacquet is on Munich’s radar and that sporting director Max Eberl in particular is said to be a fan of the young defender. Whether Bayern actually bring in a new central defender in the summer will therefore depend above all on the future of Minjae Kim.
Guehi’s rejection? Bayern continue to sound out the market
In addition to Jacquet, those responsible are continuing to monitor Nico Schlotterbeck and his contract situation in Dortmund. However, the competition for Jacquet is fierce. Chelsea are among the strongest contenders and a transfer fee of well over 50 million euros is expected. According to Sky, Bayern themselves currently believe there is little chance of a deal.
It had previously been reported that FC Bayern had turned down Marc Guéhi and were therefore turning their attention to France. Jacquet is considered one of the most exciting defensive talents in Ligue 1 and, despite his young age, is a starter at Rennes. He is still under contract until 2029 and has already made 17 competitive appearances this season.
In addition to Bayern and Chelsea, other top clubs have recently been linked with him, which further strengthens Rennes‘ position. The French club are said to be planning to keep Jacquet until at least the end of the season in order to achieve an even higher transfer fee in the summer. However, if Chelsea get serious, a transfer could take place earlier than originally planned.
