Overview
- Multiple outlets report Chelsea as the leading bidder for Maxence Lacroix with a reported price of roughly £50m/€55m but no official confirmation from either club.
- Lacroix started for France in their World Cup group match on June 26, and several reports say any transfer would be completed after the tournament.
- Crystal Palace are holding a firm valuation and have made clear they will not sanction a sale until they have identified and signed a replacement centre‑back.
- Sources say Lacroix is open to the move and talks between Chelsea and his representatives have advanced, yet media claims of an agreement remain unconfirmed and provisional.
- A sale would give Palace a significant profit on the €18m they paid Wolfsburg in 2024 and would free funds for Chelsea’s wider defensive rebuild under Xabi Alonso, with the next step being Palace recruitment and formal club announcements.