Jeremy Jacquet to Liverpool transfer on as 'deal agreed' for defender

It's believed that Jeremy Jacquet will join Liverpool after the Merseyside club agreed a deal with the French team for the promising 20-year-old defender

Jeremy Jacquet is heading to Anfield(Image: Photo by Franco Arland/Getty Images)

Liverpool has agreed a deal to sign Jeremy Jacquet - but the player will not be joining Arne Slot's squad in January.

Slot is in desperate need of defensive reinforcements after losing Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley to season-ending injuries. Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez have also picked up injuries during recent games, leaving Liverpool short at the back.

The Reds were hoping to complete a late deal for Sunderland defender Lutsharel Geertruida, who is currently in the middle of a season-long loan deal at the Stadium of Light. Yet it's believed that Sunderland is unwilling to release Geertruida in January.

There's still time for Liverpool to bring in another defender, with the transfer window not closing until 7pm local time on Monday. Jacquet is one of the names being mentioned following his breakthrough season in France with Rennes.

According to talkSPORT, the Reds are in pole position to sign Jacquet. It's claimed they are "advancing in talks" with Rennes. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has gone one better by claiming a deal between the two clubs has been "agreed."

Liverpool faced competition from Chelsea for the defender's signature.

Yet the French team is refusing to sell Jacquet in this transfer window. Instead, the proposed move to Liverpool will not go through until the summer.

While that's good news for the future, it still leaves Slot with few players to choose from at the back. Liverpool's manager needs all the help he can get, with the team's season hanging in the balance.

The Reds are sixth in the Premier League table, two points behind Manchester United in fourth, casting doubt over their chance of qualifying for next season's Champions League.

Liverpool is still in contention to win this year's Champions League, having progressed to the round of 16.

Slot's players have also reached the fourth round of the FA Cup, having been knocked out of the Carabao Cup earlier in the campaign.

It's believed Rennes' asking price for Jacquet is £60 million ($82.2 million). As per talkSPORT, Liverpool is willing to pay Rennes an initial £55 million ($75.3 million), with a further £5 million ($6.9 million) coming in add-ons.

Jacquet has made 18 appearances in Ligue 1 this season for Rennes. There's talk of him being an outside candidate to make France's squad for this year's World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

"I think we are trying to strengthen the squad and not trying to weaken it," said Slot when asked about Liverpool's winter transfer business following the 4-1 victory against Newcastle on Saturday.

"But yeah, 48 hours to go. Let's see where the window ends up."