Liverpool have beaten Chelsea in the race to sign Rennes defender Jérémy Jacquet after agreeing a fee of £55 million (€64 million) plus add-ons.
The 20-year-old will remain at the Ligue 1 side for the rest of the season before moving to Anfield in the summer.
It comes after the Blues held talks in January and had been told that a fee and personal terms for the player would not be an issue.
However, the situation changed following speculation Mamadou Sarr is set to return to Chelsea from his loan at Strasbourg.
The club’s determination to keep academy graduate Josh Acheampong as well as the possibility of Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté departing Anfield in the summer when his contract expires are also understood to have been factors in Jacquet’s decision.
The France under-21 international has played for Rennes 18 times this season and his impressive displays since graduating from the club’s academy have seen him linked with a host of European clubs.
The uncertain future of Konaté, who has only months to run on his current deal and is yet to agree an extension, leaves open a route into the starting XI that the France under-21 international felt could be barred next season at Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool have also been linked with a move for Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano who is delaying agreeing a new deal at the Allianz Arena.
Chelsea had led the race to bring Jacquet to the Premier League. A central defensive player is a priority in the transfer market, particularly with Levi Colwill out for what is likely to be the whole season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Jacquet was a long-term target and there was optimism that a deal could be done in January to bolster Liam Rosenior’s options in the immediate term whilst keeping the club’s broader recruitment plans on track.
His decision to join Liverpool is a blow, particularly after the squad’s defensive depth was shown to be lacking during a dreadful first half against West Ham on Saturday.
The club are unwilling to bring in emergency cover for Colwill and will only sanction deals for players that fit their long-term plans.
Rosenior confirmed last week that academy graduate Acheampong, who can play both right back and central defence, is a part of his plans and will not be sold.
No deal is currently in place for Sarr, the 20-year-old defender who was part of Senegal’s triumphant Africa Cup of Nations side, to return from Strasbourg where he is on loan.
Crystal Palace signed striker Jorgen Strand Larsen from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £48 million pounds (€55.6 million) but the man he was due to replace – Jean-Philippe Mateta – is still at the club after his move to AC Milan fell through on medical grounds.
Norwegian forward Strand Larsen completed his move late on transfer deadline day on Monday, making him the London club’s second big buy after they paid Tottenham Hotspur £35 million – a club record until today – for Brennan Johnson.
Strand Larsen scored 14 goals in his first season at Wolves after moving from Celta Vigo in 2024 and has continued to look sharp this season. Palace said he has signed a four-and-a-half-year contract.
French international Mateta, who has been wrestling with a knee injury, had an initial medical examination with Milan on Sunday but after additional tests on Monday, the Italians pulled out of the deal reported to be around £30 million (€34.75 million).
Premier League team-by-team January transfers
Arsenal
Ins: None
Outs: Ethan Nwaneri (Marseille, loan), Oleksandr Zinchenko (Ajax, undisclosed)
Aston Villa
Ins: Alysson (Gremio, £8.7m), Tammy Abraham (Besiktas, £18.25m)
Outs: Donyell Malen (Roma, undisclosed), Evann Guessand (Crystal Palace, loan), Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba (West Brom, loan), Ben Broggio (Falkirk, loan), Samuel Iling-Junior (Pisa, loan), Kadan Young (Reading, loan), Lino Sousa (Rotherham, loan)
Bournemouth
Ins: Ade Solanke (Lorient, undisclosed), Alex Toth (Ferencvaros, £10.4m), Christos Mandas (Lazio, loan), Rayan (Vasco da Gama, £24.7m)
Outs: Julian Araujo (Celtic, loan), Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City, £65m)
Brentford
Ins: Kaye Furo (Club Brugge, undisclosed)
Outs: Michael Olakigbe (Swindon, loan), Myles Peart-Harris (Oxford, undisclosed), Yunus Konak (Oxford, loan), Gustavo Nunes (Swansea, loan), Paris Maghoma (Norwich, undisclosed), Frank Onyeka (Coventry, loan)
Brighton
Ins: Pascal Gross (Borussia Dortmund, undisclosed)
Outs: Eiran Cashin (Blackburn, loan), Facundo Buonanotte (Leeds, loan), Jeremy Sarmiento (Middlesbrough, loan), Diego Coppola (Paris FC, loan), Tommy Watson (Millwall, loan), Brajan Gruda (RB Leipzig, loan)
Burnley
Ins: James Ward-Prowse (West Ham, loan)
Outs: Michael Obafemi (Blackpool, loan), Jaydon Banel (Derby, loan), Sam Waller (Harrogate, undisclosed)
Chelsea
Ins: Yisa Alao (Sheffield Wednesday, undisclosed)
Outs: Leo Castledine (Middlesbrough, undisclosed), Raheem Sterling (released), Aaron Anselmino (Strasbourg, loan), David Fofana (Strasbourg, loan)
Crystal Palace
Ins: Brennan Johnson (Tottenham, £35m), Evann Guessand (Aston Villa, loan), Jorgen Strand Larsen (Wolves, £48m)
Outs: Romain Esse (Coventry, loan), Marc Guehi (Manchester City, £20m), Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (Stoke, loan)
Everton
Ins: None
Outs: None
Fulham
Ins: Oscar Bobb (Man City, £27m)
Outs: Luke Harris (Wycombe, loan), Adama Traore (West Ham, undisclosed)
Leeds
Ins: Facundo Buonanotte (Brighton, loan)
Outs: Jack Harrison (Fiorentina, loan)
Liverpool
Ins: None
Outs: Lewis Koumas (Hull, loan)
Manchester City
Ins: Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth, £65m), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace, £20m)
Outs: Claudio Echeverri (Girona, loan), Oscar Bobb (Fulham, £27m), Mahamadou Susoho (Kocaelispor, undisclosed), Kalvin Phillips (Sheffield United, loan), Joel Ndala (Sheffield Wednesday, loan), Stefan Ortega (Nottingham Forest, undisclosed)
Manchester United
Ins: None
Outs: Harry Amass (Norwich, loan), Toby Collyer (Hull, loan), Rhys Bennett (Fleetwood, undisclosed), James Scanlon (Swindon, loan), Gabriele Biancheri (Rotherham, loan), Ethan Wheatley (Bradford, loan)
Newcastle United
Ins: None
Outs: Joe White (Bradford, loan)
Nottingham Forest
Ins: Lorenzo Lucca (Napoli, loan), Stefan Ortega (Man City, undisclosed), Luca Netz (Borussia Monchengladbach, undisclosed)
Outs: Arnaud Kalimuendo (Eintracht Frankfurt, undisclosed)
Sunderland
Ins: Melker Ellborg (Malmo, undisclosed)
Outs: Jay Matete (MK Dons, undisclosed), Joe Anderson (Barrow, undisclosed), Dan Neil (Ipswich, loan), Arthur Masuaku (Lens, loan), Aji Alese (Portsmouth, loan), Anthony Patterson (Millwall, loan), Leo Hjelde (Sheff Utd, loan), Patrick Roberts (Birmingham, undisclosed), Adil Aouchich (Schalke, undisclosed), Simon Adingra (Monaco, loan)
Tottenham
Ins: Conor Gallagher (Atletico Madrid, £34.7m)
Outs: Brennan Johnson (Crystal Palace, £35m), Jamie Donley (Oxford, loan), George Abbott (Mansfield, loan), Alfie Dorrington (Salford, loan)
West Ham
Ins: Pablo Felipe (Gil Vicente, undisclosed), Taty Castellanos (Lazio, undisclosed), Keiber Lamadrid (Deportivo La Guaira, loan), Adama Traore (Fulham, undisclosed)
Outs: Lucas Paqueta (Flamengo, undisclosed), Niclas Fullkrug (AC Milan, loan), Callum Marshall (Bochum, loan), George Earthy (Bristol City, loan), Andy Irving (Sparta Prague, undisclosed), James Ward-Prowse (Burnley, loan)
Wolves
Ins: None
Outs: Ki-Jana Hoever (Sheffield United, loan), Marshall Munetsi (Paris FC, loan), Jorgen Strand Larsen (Crystal Palace, £48m)