Jeremy Jacquet breaks silence on Liverpool transfer and hints at reason for Chelsea snub
Jeremy Jacquet has completed a £60million move to Liverpool from Rennes, snubbing Premier League rivals Chelsea in the process.
Jeremy Jacquet has expressed his excitement at joining "one of the greatest football institutions in the world" after choosing Liverpool over Chelsea. The Merseyside club sealed a £60million deal for the French defender on deadline day. Despite being on Chelsea's radar for the past week, when Liverpool entered the fray, Jacquet opted for the Reds over the Blues.
Liverpool will pay an initial £55m with an additional £5m potentially due in performance-related bonuses. This is a welcome boost for Arne Slot, whose defensive options have been hampered by ongoing uncertainties surrounding players like Ibrahima Konate, whose contract expires this summer.
Related articles
A key factor in the agreement was the decision to allow Jacquet to stay with his Ligue 1 team for the remainder of the campaign. Rennes are still in the Champions League race and the rapidly rising 20-year-old will be allowed to contribute until the end of the season.
Jacquet said: “I am honoured to sign for Liverpool, one of the greatest football institutions in the world. It was also very important for me to properly conclude my time in red and black, at the club that developed me – my boyhood club.
“I am approaching the second half of the season determined to share great moments with my teammates and the supporters.”
The limited options in Liverpool's defence, along with the abundance of players at Chelsea, are believed to have influenced Jacquet's decision. He wasn't convinced that he would get regular playing time at Stamford Bridge, particularly given some of their recent decisions, and so chose Anfield.
Mamadou Sarr is set to return to Chelsea from his loan spell at Strasbourg, while young talent Josh Acheampong will stay put. The Blues' squad also includes Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Aaron Anselmino and Jorrel Hato.
EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
Levi Colwill is also expected to make a comeback from injury, leaving numerous players out of selection.
Rennes manager Habib Beye confessed that the French side simply couldn't refuse the lucrative offer, making substantial profits on players who were largely unknown last summer - although Jacquet did stand out at the Under-19 Euros with France.
He explained: "It's the best deal we could hope for. We negotiated the transfer, obtained the amount that the club looked for, we respected the player's wish and we have him for the remainder of the season. It's the reality of the market. The club he joins will offer him Champions League football and what is currently the best league in the world. We simply don't have the means to fight.
"We have to see it as a privilege. Rennes could make €100m of profit on two players (Jacquet and Kader Meite, who has joined Al Hilal) who were maybe worth €3m between them six months ago."