Beth LindopFeb 1, 2026, 06:16 PM ET
CloseBased in Liverpool, Beth Lindop is ESPN’s Liverpool correspondent and also covers the WSL and UWCL.
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Liverpool have reached a pre-agreement with Rennes to sign defender Jérémy Jacquet in the summer, sources told ESPN.
The deal is expected to be worth £55 million ($74 million) plus £5 million ($6.8 million) in add-ons, the sources added, with the 20-year-old viewed as a crucial part of Liverpool’s defensive rebuild.
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Chelsea had also been interested in the centre-back, however sources told ESPN he favours a move to Anfield, with personal terms not expected to be an issue.
Liverpool are in need of defensive reinforcements, with uncertainty remaining over the futures of Ibrahima Konaté and Andy Robertson, who are both out of contract in the summer. The Premier League champions had tried to sign Marc Guéhi from Crystal Palace last summer, only for Palace to pull the plug on the £35 million ($47.8 million) deal on deadline day.
England international Guéhi joined rivals Manchester City earlier this month. Sources told ESPN Liverpool had held talks over a January move for Netherlands international Lutsharel Geertruida, who is currently on a season-long loan at Sunderland from RB Leipzig.
However, Liverpool opted not to pursue the deal after Sunderland were unable to find a replacement.
Liverpool have suffered a host of defensive injuries this term, with Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni out for the season, while Joe Gomez and Jeremie Frimpong are also sidelined.
Arne Slot’s defending Premier League champions are in 6th place, 14 points behind leaders Arsenal, but only two back of Manchester United in fourth.