Chelsea Football Club is in active negotiations with Crystal Palace regarding the potential acquisition of French international defender Maxence Lacroix. According to Sky Sports News, Palace have set their valuation above £55m, which represents the fee Tottenham paid to Brighton for Jan Paul van Hecke.
The two clubs maintain strong working relationships at executive levels and have completed previous player transactions, including the transfers of Trevoh Chalobah and Ben Chilwell. Chelsea’s pursuit of a centre-back focuses on securing a physically dominant player with existing Premier League experience. The defensive reinforcement comes as Chelsea look to reshape their squad following the sale of several squad players.
This move is part of a broader Chelsea recruitment drive this transfer window. The club has generated approximately £130m through player sales and anticipates additional departures. Defenders potentially available for transfer include Chalobah, Benoit Badiashile, Malo Gusto, and Axel Disasi.
Separately, Chelsea completed the signing of forward Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for £117m, establishing a new British transfer record. Rogers arrived for his medical with Chelsea earlier in the window and is expected to sign a six-year contract with an optional additional year extending through 2033. This transfer surpasses the previous British record held by Manchester City’s Elliot Anderson at £116m and establishes Rogers as Chelsea’s record signing, exceeding the £115m paid for Moises Caicedo in 2023.