BREAKING NEWS: Arsenal line up Seven players for sale by January due to their injury and poor form records as Andrea Berta plans for the biggest upgrade in Clubs History after Stan Kroenke releases fresh £340m yesterday
Arsenal have held exploratory talks over a deal to sign Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet ahead of Liverpool, according to The Athletic.
The Gunners are blessed with one of the strongest squads in Europe and have recently been able to bring in the likes of Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi to strengthen their push to win the Premier League title for the first time in over 20 years.
But their recruitment drive is not just tailored to strengthening the squad for today, as they are also keen to bolster for the future, and one player that sporting director Andrea Berta is keen on signing is the young French defender.
Arsenal Hold Talks to Sign Jacquet
Jeremy Jacquet marking Bradley Barcola
Jacquet, who has been described as ‘scarily talented’, is considered to be one of the best defensive prospects coming out of France currently, and his performances have caught the attention of a number of clubs across Europe.
One of those is Arsenal, and Gunners chief Berta has gone as far as to hold exploratory talks with the Ligue 1 side to find out the conditions for a potential deal. The 20-year-old recently signed a new contract at Rennes, so any transfer is likely to command a considerable fee, but it’s notable that Arsenal have made their interest concrete.
Arsenal are not the only club showing an interest, with reports suggesting that Liverpool are also keen on bringing Jacquet to the Premier League as a potential replacement for Ibrahima Konate, who is out of contract at Anfield at the end of the season.
Berta’s talks in the summer proved to be a huge help for Arsenal as they were able to beat off strong competition for a number of signings, while he also was key to their deal to bring in Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie to strengthen the defence.
Jacquet Could Be Long-Term Saliba Replacement
William Saliba of Arsenal on the ball
William Saliba of Arsenal during the Premier League match Everton vs Arsenal at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, United Kingdom, 20th December 2025 (Photo by Alfie Cosgrove/News Images)
Currently, the defence at the Emirates Stadium is arguably the best in Europe, with Mikel Arteta’s quartet of Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel, and Riccardo Calafiori being the first-choice options.
Saliba and Gabriel have recently signed new long-term contracts at the club too, but it should be quite common sense that eventually they will leave for pastures new, and Arsenal will need to be ready for that day to come.
The arrival of Mosquera was seen as the start of that passing of the guard and preparation, and should the club be able to bring in Jacquet ahead of clubs like Liverpool and other European giants, then they would be set in central defence for years to come regardless of what happens in future transfer markets to their current first-team stars.
