Chelsea fans think Behdad Eghbali ‘fumbled’ the perfect £60m defender signing
It’s January 2026, and Chelsea have just appointed Liam Rosenior as manager. The club compiled a three-man shortlist of defenders, with Behdad Eghbali starting to take control.
Despite adding Maxence Lacroix, Pep Chavarria, Marco Palestra and Emi Martinez in the summer, that has not stopped the flow of goals. Chelsea have conceded 12 goals in just five Premier League games.
It has seen the Blues linked with a handful of defenders during the break, including players like Raul Asencio, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Alessandro Bastoni. But they might not have needed a new defender.
Jeremy Jacquet form sees Chelsea make startling revelation
After weeks of trailing the Rennes academy graduate in January, Chelsea’s pursuit of Jeremy Jacquet ended in the final days of the winter window. Liverpool agreed to meet Rennes’ £60m asking price.
While the second half of last season was curtailed with a shoulder injury, Jacquet has started this season in excellent form for club and country. With Lacroix, he has helped France keep two clean sheets.
How much would you be willing to pay for Jeremy Jacquet?💰
Both 1-0 wins in Zinedine Zidane’s first two games against Turkey and Belgium, in which Jacquet and Lacroix have played every single minute. It has prompted Chelsea fans to discuss Jacquet on social media.
One supporter summed it up: “We really fumbled the Jacquet move, man. Top talent,” while another said Jacquet is a “proper baller”. One even said: “Who is this Jacquet guy? Am enjoying his game so far.”
The frustration was clear in this fan’s post: “The most painful signing that Chelsea didn’t get summer,” alongside an image of Jacquet in action. He added: “We were blind sticking with academy boy Colwill.”
Chelsea didn’t pay the price, now they’re regretting it
Back in January, it was reported that Chelsea were not willing to go as high as £60m for the defender, despite having an agreement with the player’s representatives. Chelsea didn’t sign anyone in January.
Instead, they recalled Mamadou Sarr from his loan at Strasbourg, and the Senegal star failed to fill the void that Jacquet was supposed to fill. Indeed, Sarr has since been sent on loan to Real Sociedad.
There is no doubt that if Eghbali were asked if he would pay the £60m required to get Jacquet now, he would. He has been a top signing for Liverpool and now, he is shining with France. It’s a regret.
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