Chelsea will surely be looking to strengthen their centre-back ranks this summer. That has been one of their main weaknesses this season. Levi Colwill suffered an ACL injury in pre-season training and has missed the majority of the campaign. His recent return has significantly improved the Blues’ defence. But more help is needed, especially if Xabi Alonso wants to play three at the back.
There have been suggestions that Chelsea would prefer a Premier League-proven centre-back instead of bringing in someone from a different competition and then hoping that he is able to make the adjustment to English football. And it looks like they could be open to making a player-plus-cash offer for one of their targets.
Chelsea do not lack centre-backs at the moment. They have plenty. They just simply do not seem to have ones capable of starting for a club of this magnitude.
According to Sports Boom, Chelsea could offer €40 million along with Tosin Adarabioyo in a swap for Maxence Lacroix of Crystal Palace.
Chelsea readying player-plus-cash offer for Maxence Lacroix
Lacroix is one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League, who is currently not on a Big Six team. And if Chelsea were able to sign him, there is a good chance that he would be an immediate starter for them.
The report even goes on to state that Lacroix is open to a move to Chelsea. The Crystal Palace defender appears to believed that this step would help him secure a more prominent role within the French national team set up.
That is very much a possibility if he is able to perform at a high-level for Chelsea. That being said, the club have signed several other French international centre-backs in the past who were not able to meet expectations at Stamford Bridge. In fact, Benoit Badiashile, Axel Disasi and Wesley Fofana are all being linked with moves away heading into the summer transfer window.
Would Lacroix be a good fit?
On paper, it does feel like someone like Lacroix would be a good fit for what Chelsea need right now. He is the fastest centre-back in the Premier League right now. But his game is not just about pace.
He is also capable of winning duels on a consistent basis and is decent in the air as well. With the ball at his feet, he can more than hold his own. And he is also the leader at the back for Crystal Palace at the moment.
All of those are qualities that Chelsea could do with right now. It remains to be seen whether their offer would be enough for Crystal Palace or not, who could be looking for around €60 million for their star defender.
Sourav Mahanty
Sourav Mahanty has covered teams like Chelsea, Celtic, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and more over a career that has now lasted a decade. His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports, SB Nation, FanSided, The Sportster and aggregated through Bleacher Report and NewsNow. Outside of football, he is also interested in basketball, cricket and professional wrestling.
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