Liverpool reach verbal agreement to sign Chelsea target Jeremy Jacquet

Liverpool have reached a verbal agreement to sign Rennes centre-back Jeremy Jacquet in a deal reportedly worth up to £60 million, amid Chelsea interest.

Chelsea had strongly targeted Jeremy Jacquet, but failed to reach an agreement with the Rennes defender.

They are now set to recall Mamadou Sarr from his loan at sister club Strasbourg and retain Josh Acheampong.

Liverpool are short of personnel at centre-back, and Ibrahima Konate’s contract expires at the end of the season, while Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni continue to nurse long-term injuries on the sidelines.

Jacquet is set to join Liverpool in the summer after the Reds agreed to pay a fixed fee of £55 million plus a potential £5 million in performance-related add-ons.

Chelsea went in strong, just as their Premier League counterparts, Liverpool, with both clubs offering the same deal for the 20-year-old French defender.

However, after the youngster and his representatives thoroughly assessed the situation from both clubs, it became rather apparent that Chelsea were stacked with several young centre-backs in that department.

Something that would hurt his chances of securing regular playing time at Stamford Bridge, should he decide to move to West London to continue his development as a young centre-back.

Jacquet changed his mind and decided to move to Liverpool. The Blues currently have Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Axel Disasi, Aaron Anselmino and Jorrel Hato in their first-team squad.

English centre-back Levi Colwill could return from injury before the end of the season, and Sarr is set to return from his loan at Strasbourg.

Jacquet is being signed after Liverpool’s Deadline Day move for Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace last summer collapsed at the last minute.

Guehi signed for Manchester City for a steal, £20m, in the January transfer window, six months before his contract expired.