Why £60 Million Jeremy Jacquet Snubbed Chelsea for Liverpool

There is a risk of future players coming to the same conclusion when faced with interest from Chelsea.

Jérémy Jacquet had plenty of suitors to consider. | Neal Simpson/Allstar/Getty Images

A clear pathway into Liverpool’s first team was reportedly a defining factor behind Jérémy Jacquet’s decision to choose the Reds instead of Chelsea in an agreement which even his Rennes manager Habib Beye hailed as “the best deal.”

Chelsea appeared best placed to seal Jacquet’s signature in the middle of January window, personal terms had been reportedly agreed and the player was on board with a move—which soon became clear could only happen next summer, given Rennes’ own ambitions of European qualification this season.

However, the pendulum swung in Liverpool’s favour once they elbowed their way into the race over the final five days of the window. Much has been made of Jacquet’s admiration for Ibrahima Konaté and Virgil van Dijk—the 20-year-old recently named Liverpool’s defensive duo as the two players he most looked up to—yet the plan to supplant at least one of them in the first team was fundamental in his thinking.

Liverpool are said to have laid out a clear pathway for Jacquet’s integration next season, according to The Athletic. The efforts made by Chelsea fell worryingly flat.

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Jeremy Jacquet’s Role at Liverpool

Jérémy Jacquet is heading to Liverpool. | Neal Simpson/Allstar/Getty Images

Jacquet has been on the radar of the continent’s elite since starting every game for France as they reached the Under-19 European Championship during the summer of 2024. Six months later, he was recalled from a loan spell in the second tier with Clermont Foot to immediately slot into Rennes’ starting XI, where he has remained, steadily growing into a fine prospect, for the past year.

For all his promise, and a staggering £60 million ($81.9 million) price tag, Jacquet is still a signing for the future. He boasts just 31 senior appearances for Rennes—Van Dijk has made more for Liverpool this season alone. Yet, the chance to learn alongside the veteran centre back should help smooth his integration into the squad next season. Whether he gets the opportunity to compete alongside Konaté is another matter entirely.

Jacquet’s fellow Frenchman is still set to be out of contract next summer, with all previous efforts at an extension thus far fruitless. Real Madrid are reportedly no longer considering an approach for Konaté but there will be no shortage of suitors for a 26-year-old, fully fledged international available on a free.

The prospect of a Konaté-shaped hole in Liverpool’s squad may well have played into Jacquet’s thinking. Without the No. 5, his only competitors to play with Van Dijk would be the injury-riddled Joe Gomez or 19-year-old Giovanni Leoni, who himself is recovering from a nasty ACL tear.

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Is This a Problem for Chelsea Going Forward?

Chelsea endured an underwhelming end to the transfer window. | Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images

Jacquet wasn’t the only French defender to spurn Chelsea’s advances this window. ESPN reported that the Blues ploughed in with a late offer for Nantes’ 17-year-old centre back Tylel Tati. The teenager is a similar profile to Jacquet—if not even less experienced, with this season his first ever experience of senior football—and inspired a bid worth €30 million (£25.9 million, $35.4 million).

Nantes were thought to be receptive to such an approach—why wouldn’t they be, cashing in €1.6 million for every appearance Tati has made. Yet, it was the player who rejected the move.

Chelsea’s clear strategy of recruiting young talent is a double-edged sword. While the embryonic makeup of their squad provides prospective recruits with the constant example of the club’s willingness to trust youth, the sheer abundance of prodigious talent can clog a pathway to the first team.

Jorrel Hato was whisked away from Ajax last summer to make just three Premier League starts this season in one of the more positive stories of young prospects from recent windows. The likes of Omari Kellyman, Aarón Anselmino, Mike Penders and Kendry Páez have all signed for the club over the past 18 months for a combined fee of €69 million. They boast a grand total of two minutes of senior football for the Blues between them.

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