Liverpool have reached a verbal agreement for the transfer of Rennes centre-back Jeremy Jacquet worth up to £60m.
The 20-year-old, who Chelsea have been trying to sign, is set to move to Anfield in the summer.
Liverpool have agreed to pay a fixed fee of £55m plus a potential £5m in performance-related add-ons.
Jacquet is currently having his medical in England on Deadline Day.
Chelsea offered exactly the same deal as Liverpool but over the past 48 hours, when it became apparent that Mamadou Sarr would be returning to Chelsea and Josh Acheampong was staying, the player changed his mind and decided to move to Liverpool.
It is believed he is likely to play more regularly there in the long term as Chelsea's squad is overloaded with young centre-backs.
The Blues currently have Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Axel Disasi, Aaron Anselmino and Jorrel Hato in their first-team squad. Levi Colwill could return from injury before the end of the season and Sarr is set to return from his loan at Strasbourg.
However, Disasi has not played for Chelsea this season and is expected to leave on Monday's transfer deadline, while Anselmino is taking Sarr's place on loan at Strasbourg after coming back from Borussia Dortmund.
Liverpool are not as blessed with options at centre-back. Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are their only fit senior players in that position, with Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni injured.
Konate's contract expires at the end of the season and he could leave for free in the summer. Jacquet is being signed after Liverpool's Deadline Day move for Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace last summer collapsed at the last minute.
Man City signed Guehi from Palace for £20m in this transfer window, six months before his contract expired. Liverpool were keen on him in the summer on a free transfer, but not at the price City paid in January.
French football expert Julien Laurens:
"He's the real deal. I know he's only 20, he hasn't played for France and he hasn't played in the Champions League or Europa League.
"He has a long way to go but he's been impressive last season, after they [Rennes] called him back from his loan in the second division, and this season, with Habib Beye.
"You can't get it wrong. He is going to be amazing.
"He reminds me of when William Saliba burst onto the scene in France with Saint-Etienne, or Wesley Fofana.
"It's about how much you value that potential and talent. You would pay a lot of money for someone who hasn't really proved much. It's a lot of money for such a young player."
Your Site' Jamie Carragher:
"When the deal has been done with Rennes, that's maybe why they've got it over the line because he can stay until the end of the season. It's not going to disrupt their league season in France.
"It's their player, you have to play by their rules. Liverpool have paid top money for a player of that age. The future bodes well at centre-back but they have problems right now they need to fix.
"Arsenal did brilliantly going into the French market and signing young players. If he's anything like William Saliba, we'll all be delighted because right now, he's arguably the best centre-back in the Premier League or about to take that mantle from Virgil van Dijk."
European football expert Kevin Hatchard on Your Site News discussing Jeremy Jacquet, who is set to join Liverpool:
"He's been seen as a rising star for quite some time. He's been a captain at numerous youth groups for France and seen as somebody who has all of the building blocks you need to be a modern centre back.
"He's good on the ball, good passing range, athletic, great in the air - but he doesn't have a long record of top-level football.
"He had a loan at Cleremont that went well. He's been playing for Rennes this season, but it shows you just how much they rate him that they really didn't want to let him go in this window.
"His coach Habib Beye said 'if we let him go this season, we'll have to downgrade our goals for the season'."
Your Site' Paul Merson:
"I found it extraordinary that [Jacquet] is coming in the summer. They need a centre half now to get top four or top five.
"It surprises me. It's a good signing - as a Chelsea fan I'm shocked he hasn't come to Chelsea, but I'm glad Achaempong is now staying.
"I'm majorly shocked. I don't know why for the life of me he's staying in France until the start of next season. With that kind of money, you want him now!"
