Liverpool beat Chelsea to reported £60M deal for defender Jacquet

Liverpool have beaten off competition from Chelsea to sign Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet for a fee reportedly worth up to £60 million ($82 million).

However, Jacquet is not set to move to Anfield until the end of the season despite Liverpool's need for defensive reinforcements.

"The Reds have secured a deal for the 20-year-old that will see him complete the remainder of the current campaign in Ligue 1 and move to Anfield in the summer on a long-term contract," Liverpool announced Monday, several hours after the official closure of the winter transfer window.

Jacquet had been linked with a transfer to Chelsea earlier this month but was reportedly put off the move by the competition for places at centre-back in the Blues' bloated squad.

Liverpool, by contrast, are desperately short on centre-back options.

Captain Virgil van Dijk, 34, and Ibrahima Konate, who is out of contract at the end of the season, are the only two options currently available to Arne Slot with Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni sidelined by injury.

French under-21 international Jacquet has only made 31 appearances for Rennes since breaking into the first team of the Ligue 1 side last season.

Liverpool will reportedly pay an initial £55 million with a further £5 million contingent on add-ons.