Chelsea’s defensive rebuild under new manager Xabi Alonso is gathering pace, with the club poised to step up their pursuit of Crystal Palace centre-back Maxence Lacroix after already completing a £51.8m sale of Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid.
The Blues have identified Lacroix as a key target as they aim to add at least one central defender to their squad this summer. The 26-year-old France international, who has three years left on his contract, has been central to Palace’s FA Cup and Europa Conference League triumphs. Palace are braced for an offer from their London rivals, though they are keen to offer Lacroix a new contract. It is unclear whether the player is ready to engage in talks while away on international duty at the World Cup.
“Chelsea target Maxence Lacroix and Pep Chavarria after selling Cucurella for £51.8m as defensive rebuild accelerates.”
Chelsea’s defensive ambitions extend beyond Lacroix. They are set to complete the signing of Atalanta’s Marco Palestra for a fee in excess of £43m, with the full-back capable of playing on both sides. Fellow full-back Malo Gusto is considering his future at Chelsea, with the club placing a £75m price tag on the Frenchman amid interest from Manchester City. The futures of Wesley Fofana and Tosin Adarabioyo are also in doubt, as further sales are likely needed to create space.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have identified Rayo Vallecano’s Spanish left-back Pep Chavarria, 28, as the man to replace Cucurella, whose sale to Real Madrid has already been completed. Further complicating matters is Como’s interest in Trevoh Chalobah, with the England international open to a move to Italy. Como’s centre-back Jacobo Ramon, 21, is another option for Chelsea, though Ramon remains linked to former club Real Madrid through various clauses.
The transfer activity is all part of a major summer of player sales and improvements before Alonso’s official arrival. The Spanish side have made Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, valued by the Blues at £120m, one of their key targets this summer, with Fernandez known to be keen on the move. An attacker and midfielder could also be signed at a later date.
Elsewhere, England captain Harry Kane, 32, will sign a new contract at Bayern Munich despite interest from Barcelona. Manchester City’s appointment of Enzo Maresca as boss could lead to a major rebuild, with England full-back Rico Lewis, Netherlands defender Nathan Ake, Spanish midfielder Nico Gonzalez, Portugal defender Ruben Dias and Brazil winger Savinho all potentially up for sale. City are also ready to hijack Tottenham’s move for Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali, despite having already agreed to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.
AC Milan are ready to bid £21.5m for Manchester United’s Mason Mount, but United do not want to sell him. Hull City are set to sign Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland in a swap deal involving Croat Ivor Pandur. Borussia Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha is ready to reject a move to Newcastle, preferring a switch to Manchester United. Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise is aware that several clubs, including Real Madrid and Paris St-Germain, are monitoring his World Cup performances, with the 24-year-old set to meet with Bayern after the tournament to discuss his future. RB Leipzig say Yan Diomande will remain at the club next season despite the 19-year-old reportedly choosing PSG as his next destination.