Blow for Chelsea? Arsenal emerges 'real contender' to sign French defender

Arsenal have reportedly emerged as a serious candidate to sign Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet.

The 20-year-old is widely seen as one of the top talents in European football, and several Premier League clubs, including Manchester United and Liverpool, are reportedly vying for his signature.

The young centre-back, who can also play as a right-back, has made 16 starts in Ligue 1 this season, has a contract at the club until 2029, and luring him away in January looks difficult.

Mikel Arteta has signed a number of defenders during his time at the club, and the Gunners have a strong defensive set-up, having conceded just 14 goals in the Premier League thus far.

Andrea Berta, Arsenal's sporting director, has been a busy man since taking charge after Edu's exit, and he is reportedly aiming to pull off a transfer coup next summer.

Arsenal eye move for Jeremy Jacquet?

According to a report from TeamTalk, the Gunners are emerging as genuine contenders to secure Jacquet's signature, but Rennes are unlikely to let him go in the January window.

The youngster is seen as France’s next top defensive prospect, and Berta is keeping close tabs on him among other Europe's top talents.

The Gunners are already well stocked in defence, having landed Cristhian Mosquera and Paulo Hincapie last summer, but it appears that they are still on the lookout for exciting young talents.

Possibly, the Gunners could consider offloading Ben White, who has struggled for regular game time this season, if they land the youngster.

Arsenal could face competition from Chelsea

The north London club could face serious competition from Premier League rivals Chelsea, who are reportedly desperate to sign a new defender.

The Blues have been reportedly closely monitoring Jacquet and they have carried out extensive scouting work on the youngster.

Chelsea wanted to sign a new centre-back last summer after Levi Colwill suffered an ACL injury, but former boss Enzo Maresca was left disappointed after they failed to sign one.

While the Blues have enough options at the back, it seems Liam Rosenior still wants one or two centre-backs, either in January or next summer, and Jacquet has been earmarked as an option.