WHO IS JEREMY JACQUET? THE 20-YEAR-OLD FRENCHMAN SPARKING A PREMIER LEAGUE BIDDING WAR
Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool are in a three-way battle for Ligue 1 star Jeremy Jacquet. Get the latest on the £43m bid.
Chelsea are aiming to beat Arsenal and Liverpool to one of Ligue 1’s top young defenders.
They’re lining up a big £43 million offer for Rennes centre-back Jeremy Jacquet and want to get the deal done this month. Over the weekend, word got out that Chelsea and the 20-year-old had already agreed on personal terms. Now, it’s just down to the clubs to settle the fee.
On Sunday, Fabrizio Romano posted, X: “Chelsea have agreed personal terms with Jeremy Jacquet, their top target at centre-back. The contract’s ready, the player wants the move, and talks are ongoing. Rennes want a club record fee of around €65m. Chelsea’s bid is still lower. Someone from Chelsea already went to France for talks.”
RMC Sport says Chelsea are about to submit a new €50 million bid — that’s roughly £43 million. Rennes still wants more, but Chelsea hopes that having personal terms locked in puts them in the driver’s seat.
Jacquet’s contract runs until 2029, so Rennes has the upper hand. They want to break their own transfer record — right now, that stands at Jeremy Doku’s €64 million move to Man City last year. Jacquet, who’s got a reputation as a classy, ball-playing centre-back, ticks all the boxes for Chelsea. But Rennes won’t let him go unless the offer is close to €60 million.
At the same time, Arsenal and Liverpool are both circling. Chelsea is hoping their lower bids don’t open the door for a rival to swoop in. Arsenal want to add more young talent, while Liverpool is still searching for a centre-back after missing out on Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace.
TEAMtalk reported last week that Arsenal are “real contenders” for Jacquet, with Andrea Berta a big fan. Liverpool, Manchester United, and Real Madrid are also watching closely.
Chelsea’s new coach, Liam Rosenior, spoke about transfers last week. He said, “If we do buy, it has to be the right player. We need to be patient. I want to see what this group can do. There’s still time, and I talk with the board every day about who might come in or go out. But mostly, I’m focused on the players we have here. If the right player comes along at the right time, we’ll make a move.”
CONOR GALLAGHER CONFIRMED AS "VITAL" STARTER FOR SPURS FOLLOWING BENTANCUR’S INJURY LAYOFF
Conor Gallagher proved the doubters wrong against Man City. Discover why his €40m move to Tottenham is finally paying off for Spurs.
Chelsea and Atletico Madrid both decided Conor Gallagher wasn’t worth the trouble. At Chelsea, he had his moments—Pochettino liked him, but the fans never really warmed up. When Chelsea shipped him off to Atletico, it made sense. Enzo Fernandez stepped up, took over Gallagher’s role, and fit in perfectly next to Caicedo, with Cole Palmer adding that extra spark up front.
Things didn’t get much better for Gallagher in Spain. He barely got a chance at Atleti, lost his spot in the starting eleven, and pretty much ended up on the transfer list before anyone had time to blink. Interest was lukewarm at best until the winter window rolled around. Aston Villa wanted him and went after him pretty aggressively, but then Tottenham swooped in late. Spurs needed someone to patch up the midfield after Bentancur’s injury, so they just paid up—40 million euros, no hesitation.
His start at Tottenham? Rough. Honestly, that was to be expected. He’d played well at Palace before, but after his struggles at Atleti, he needed time to adjust. Sitting on the bench in Spain didn’t do him any favours.
Then Gallagher showed up. People doubted whether he could really add creativity and move the ball forward for Spurs, so his early struggles got people worried. But then came the 2-2 draw against Manchester City. He suddenly looked like the player both Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank were so desperate to sign.
Against City, Gallagher flipped the script. He set up a crucial assist, drove play forward on the dribble, and kept drawing fouls—everything the Spurs needed. Defensively, he was all over the place in a good way: two tackles, three interceptions, a full 90 minutes, and a huge part of the Spurs clawing their way back into the game.
Tottenham fans loved it. They saw the effort, the attitude, and the hunger to win. Gallagher just wouldn’t quit, and in that second half, he, Xavi Simons, Pape Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie, and Dominic Solanke ran the show. Four of those guys have been carrying Spurs lately, so Gallagher is fitting right in with them. That’s a pretty good sign he’s going to work out just fine in North London.
AC MILAN MEDICAL FAILURE: THE HIDDEN KNEE INJURY THAT CRUSHED MATETA’S £30M MOVE
Jean-Philippe Mateta's £30m move to AC Milan is OFF. Discover why a failed medical has put his France World Cup dreams in jeopardy.