Jeremy Jacquet agrees personal terms with Chelsea ahead of proposed £56m transfer from Rennes

Chelsea are the frontrunners in the race for the Rennes star having accelerated their interest in Jacquet over the weekend. Fabrizio Romano claims that the Blues have agreed personal terms with the defender over a move to west London this month.

Rennes are hoping out for a club-record £56 million ($75m) fee to sell Jacquet. The fee would eclipse the £52m ($70m) they received for Jeremy Doku, when the Belgian wing-wizard completed his high-profile switch to Manchester City in 2023.

Chelsea's offer for Jacquet is said to be lower than what Rennes are willing to accept for the defender. That said, Jacquet is expected to be a Chelsea player before the transfer window closes as the club look to back new head coach Liam Rosenior in the January market.

Rosenior succeeded Enzo Maresca as Chelsea boss earlier this month after the Italian was dismissed on New Year's Day. The 41-year-old oversaw a 5-1 FA Cup third round win over Charlton to kick off his reign as Blues head coach.

Chelsea then followed up a victory over the Championship side with a 3-2 home loss to rivals Arsenal in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg tie in midweek. The 2025 UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup winners then won their first league game with Rosenior in charge as they beat west London rivals Brentford 2-0 on home turf.

Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer struck either side of half-time as Chelsea ended a five-game Premier League winless run to boost their Champions League hopes. Chelsea are now just two points behind Liverpool in fourth after the Reds played out a 1-1 draw with relegation-threatened Burnley on Saturday.

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Rosenior conceded that Chelsea were not at their best against Brentford on Saturday but praised the battling qualities of his players as they got the job done against the Bees. "I felt [we showed] the attitude, the energy levels, the valuing of the basics of football," Rosenior said.

"You need those when you play a good team, like Brentford, who can play in many different ways, who are very good on set-plays, long throws and are so organised.

"What pleased me the most, which was summed up into two goals, was the players' willingness to battle, to fight, to block shots, to make headers and tackles. That's the reason we got the clean sheet – and actually it was the attitude that got us the two goals and win us the game.

"It was going to be a real test for us and sometimes you have to win the game in different ways. So, for me, it's about winning, and I've said that since I've come in. We didn't play the free-flowing football that I want us to in the end, but we got the job done."

Chelsea captain Reece James also underlined the importance of beating Brentford, adding: "We know we needed to win at home. It probably wasn’t our best game on the ball, but to build something special, you need to win games when you’re not at your best.

"We’ve only had a short period with the manager - and some of us have been out and only had a few sessions with him. We’re trying to learn as much as possible in a short period of time, and we’re adapting to the way he wants to play.

"Things take time, and every manager has a different style, a different approach. In this moment during the season, it’s so hard to train because there is a game every two or three days. We just need to prepare the best we can."

James believes the entire Chelsea squad will be key in the second half of the season, adding: "The season is long, and we’re only in January. We still have a lot to play for this season, and there are many competitions we’re still in, and we’ll do our best.

"The schedule is super hectic, and every season there are more games, and it’s a higher intensity. This is probably the most physically demanding league in the world, and everyone in the squad is needed for the full season."

Chelsea follow up their win over Brentford with the welcome of Pafos in the Champions League in midweek. The Blues sit 13th in the league phase, just two points off the automatic qualification spots.