Back in January, Jeremy Jacquet looked set to join Chelsea from Rennes as BlueCo looked to hand Liam Rosenior more depth at centre-back. But instead, the Frenchman picked Liverpool.
After a year on loan at Clermont, Jacquet returned to parent club Rennes in January 2025 and things took off. The France U21 star would go on to play 33 times for Rennes and that was enough to attract others.
We had the whole of January to sign Jeremy Jacquet and come up short 😡
Who is to blame for this?!
Renowned for his tall frame, aerial ability and composure when in possession, Jacquet was targeted by the Blues to provide competition at centre-back with Levi Colwill out and others struggling for form.
Chelsea spent the majority of January trying to agree a fee with Rennes but late on, it emerged that the defender would complete a £61m move to Liverpool. Days later, he picked up a long-term shoulder issue.
Why Jacquet chose Liverpool over Chelsea back in January
Jacquet has since spent the entire second half of the season out injured, forced to undergo an operation on his shoulder after dislocating it for a second time. He has been unable to play since the injury.
Speaking to Ouest France, the lofty French defender explained why he chose to join Liverpool over the Blues in January and even admitted that Manchester United had held talks for his signature as well.
“Honestly, a lot of false things have been said. My brother and I were like, ‘Where did that come from? I never said that!’ It was the first time I’d seen my name associated with it on social media like that.
“But anyway, it means clubs are interested in you. And as for my decision, I won’t say it was a quick one, because I took my time with this big step. But I quickly saw myself at Liverpool,” Jacquet explained.
“I heard they [Liverpool] arrived last minute, but that’s not true. I’d been talking to them for a long time. There were others. [Man United] For example, but other clubs not mentioned. It didn’t happen in a week.
“At Chelsea, I felt there were quite a lot of people. Whereas at Liverpool, apart from the fact that [Virgil] Van Dijk is nearing the end of his career, training with him is going to be huge,” Jacquet continued.
“He’s going to teach me so much. There’s also Ibou Konaté who can help me settle in. It doesn’t get any better than that. The history weighed heavily on my decision, but so did the project they offered me.”
BlueCo to blame for Chelsea’s Jeremy Jacquet failure
Jamie Carragher has alluded to it in the past. As a young player, why would you want to join Chelsea right now? The Blues have signed so many talents from across the globe, making a first-team chance difficult.
How much would you be willing to pay for Jeremy Jacquet?💰
Even this summer, Chelsea are set to receive teenage talents Denner, Dastan Satpaev and Geovany Quenda. Young duo Emmanuel Emegha and Valentin Barco are also set to join Chelsea from Strasbourg.
BlueCo’s work in the transfer window, and signing young players simply as objects and future investments have worsened their bargaining chip. Players like Jacquet coming in now have little chance of an impact.
Chelsea have 10 senior centre-backs on the books. Axel Disasi and Aaron Anselmino will return from loans, while the Blues also have Jorrel Hato, Josh Acheampong, Colwill, Tosin, Trevoh Chalobah and more.
Jacquet is right. Moving to Chelsea would have seen his path blocked. While he would have been in and around the first team, his chances of becoming a regular were small. At Liverpool, that is different.
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