Liverpool have agreed a deal with Rennes to sign highly-rated centre-back Jeremy Jacquet in the summer. The Reds have negotiated a pre-agreement worth an initial £55million plus £5m in add-ons for the 20-year-old having held talks with the French side over the weekend.

Jacquet has been a strong target for Chelsea, who also held discussions with Rennes last month, while Manchester United and Arsenal have also had a long-term interest in the player.

However, the France Under-21 international now looks poised to commit his future to the Premier League champions, with reports in France claiming the defender has been impressed with the project proposed by Liverpool.

As part of the agreement, Jacquet would spend the rest of the season with Rennes before linking up with Liverpool to form a key part of a defensive rebuild that started last year with the signing of teenage Parma centre-back Giovanni Leoni for an initial £26m.

It's understood Jacquet wants to stay at Rennes for the remainder of the season to help them secure European qualification. They currently stand in sixth place and a Conference League berth.

There is in practice a chance Chelsea or another club could make a...