Chelsea have stepped up their pursuit of Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix after a fresh round of talks between the two clubs' ownerships, with the discussions described as positive. The 26-year-old France international, part of Palace's Conference League-winning side in May, has emerged as a key target for new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso as the club look to add Premier League experience to their defence.
Palace have been keen to offer Lacroix a new contract — he has three years remaining on his current deal — but the player is understood to be eager for a new challenge. The Eagles are holding out for a minimum fee of £60m and have already started identifying replacements, with Augsburg's Chrislain Matsima among the players being monitored.
“Chelsea accelerate Lacroix talks as Palace demand £60m for France defender.”
Lacroix joined Palace from Wolfsburg in August 2024 in a deal worth up to £18m and has made 98 appearances for the club. He also played for France at the World Cup. If Chelsea's move is successful, the future of Trevoh Chalobah — who has interest from Como — will come further into question.
The west London club are also close to completing a £117m deal for Aston Villa attacker Morgan Rogers, another signing that would bolster Alonso's squad ahead of the new season. Chelsea's rapid transfer activity signals an aggressive rebuild under the former Bayer Leverkusen boss, who replaced Mauricio Pochettino in the summer.