Arsenal have been dealt a blow as Manchester City have struck a deal to sign Marc Guehi.
The Crystal Palace star is one of the best defenders in the Premier League, and many felt that he would join a bigger club on a free transfer in the summer.
Arsenal were heavily linked with a move to sign Guehi at the end of this season, but Pep Guardiola has swooped in and secured his services.
The Gunners haven’t just missed out on a target but their title rivals have just become stronger as well, which is a big concern.
Now, there’s more bad news for Arsenal regarding another defensive target – Jeremy Jacquet.
Which defender should Andrea Berta sign for Arsenal now after Marc Guehi joins Manchester City?
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Fabrizio Romano shares transfer update on Arsenal target Jeremy Jacquet
Jacquet is one of the most talented young defenders in Europe.
The Frenchman, who plays for Stade Rennes, is being monitored by several top clubs in the Premier League and abroad.
Arsenal have been linked with a move to sign Jacquet for a long time, and reports have claimed that the Gunners are ‘serious contenders’ for his signature in the summer.
However, after seeing Guehi head to Manchester City, the Premier League leaders may miss out on Jacquet as well.
That’s because Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Chelsea are now in direct talks to sign the defender in this window.
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He said in a video on his YouTube channel: “I can tell you that Chelsea had in the last 24 hours had direct contacts with Rennes for Jeremy Jacquet, the French defender from Rennes, who has been on the list of Arsenal for a long time.
“Arsenal were interested in signing the boy last summer before signing Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera.
“Now, Chelsea have had new contacts with Rennes. So Jeremy Jacquet is on the list at Chelsea for sure for the January transfer window. There have been conversations. Direct talks in the last 24 hours.
“So, Jeremy Jacquet is, for sure, on the list to be the new Chelsea defender.”
Be honest. Do Arsenal really need another defender?
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Arsenal should use the William Saliba trick to sign Jacquet
Arsenal are not expected to make any new additions to their squad in the winter window.
The Gunners have the best squad depth in the Premier League, and there is no real need for immediate reinforcements.
However, Jacquet is a superstar in the making, and to avoid Chelsea stealing him, the Gunners should use the William Saliba trick.
Arsenal should make a deal with Rennes to sign Jacquet and then offer to send him back on loan.
That helped in the negotiations to land Saliba from Saint-Etienne back in the summer of 2019, and we think it could work now too, as the French side are keen to keep their star defender until the end of the campaign.
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