Chelsea are pushing ahead with plans to reshape their defence under new manager Xabi Alonso, with the club preparing to step up their pursuit of Crystal Palace centre-back Maxence Lacroix.
The France international, currently on World Cup duty, has three years left on his contract and has been a cornerstone of Palace's recent FA Cup and Europa Conference League triumphs. Palace are braced for an offer from their London rivals, though they are keen to tie the 26-year-old down to a new deal — it is unclear whether Lacroix is ready to engage in talks.
“Chelsea target Palace's Maxence Lacroix as defensive rebuild under Xabi Alonso accelerates.”
Chelsea have already raised significant funds this summer, selling Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid for £51.8m, and are close to completing the signing of Atalanta full-back Marco Palestra for a fee in excess of £43m. But the priority remains centre-back, with Trevoh Chalobah attracting interest from Serie A side Como. The England international is open to a move to Italy, which could further complicate negotiations as Como also hold an option in Jacobo Ramon, a 21-year-old centre-back also on Chelsea's radar.
Ramon's situation is tangled further by lingering clauses linking him to former club Real Madrid, who themselves have made Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez — valued by the Blues at £120m — a key target. Fernandez is understood to be keen on the move.
Meanwhile, full-back Malo Gusto is weighing up his future at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have placed a £75m price tag on the Frenchman, attracting interest from Manchester City. The futures of Wesley Fofana and Tosin Adarabioyo are also in doubt, with further sales likely needed to create space in a congested defensive unit. Alonso may also look to bring in an attacker and a midfielder later in the window.
With Palace determined to keep Lacroix but Chelsea circling, the coming weeks could determine the shape of both teams' backlines for the new season.