Chelsea monitoring “dominant” French starlet also wanted by Manchester United and Arsenal

Stade Rennes' Jeremy Jacquet in action with Paris St Germain's Bradley Barcola. (REUTERS/Stephane Mahe)

Chelsea have a recent history of recruiting young French talent, though the results have been mostly disappointing.

Players like Benoît Badiashile and Axel Disasi have failed to fully meet expectations — with Disasi now set to leave Stamford Bridge in January.

Others such as Lesley Ugochukwu and Christopher Nkunku came and went without really making a mark.

Despite that track record, the Blues appear to have identified another promising French prospect who they keen to bring to West London.

Chelsea are keeping tabs on Rennes centre-back Jeremy Jacquet, a 20-year-old defender who has already gained valuable Ligue 1 experience and is widely regarded as a future star.

Sources tell The Athletic that Chelsea are monitoring Jacquet closely, highlighting the growing competition for his signature.

Manchester United and Arsenal are also said to be interested.

Jacquet’s qualities have not gone unnoticed by those who have worked with him.

Sébastien Bichard, who first spotted the player at Clermont and later worked with him at Rennes, described him as “dominant, easy, without ever being nonchalant,” praising his composure and commanding presence on the field.

While Chelsea’s interest is understood to be at an early stage, the Blues are likely weighing up how to bring Jacquet to Stamford Bridge amid competition from other Premier League clubs.

His versatility and maturity at such a young age make him a highly appealing long-term defensive option.

Barnaby Lane is a highly experienced sports writer who has written for The Times, FourFourTwo Magazine, Sports Illustrated, TalkSPORT, and Business Insider.

Over the years, he's had the pleasure of interviewing some of the biggest names in world sport, including Usain Bolt, Rafael Nadal, Christian Pulisic, and more.