It is believed that Chelsea will be looking to strengthen their centre-back ranks this summer. Before the Xabi Alonso appointment was finalised, some outlets claimed that the Spaniard had requested the signing of two new centre-backs this summer. On the other hand, the future of players like Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Tosin Adarabioyo and Josh Acheampong remains uncertain.
So, the Chelsea centre-back situation might look very different come next season. And Maxence Lacroix is someone they have been linked with in recent weeks.
Lacroix has become the leader at the back for Crystal Palace since the departure of Marc Guehi to join Manchester City. And his performances seem to have caught the eye of top clubs.
According to a report from Fabrice Hawkins on RMC Sport yesterday, Lacroix was expected to play his last match for the Eagles on Sunday against Arsenal at Selhurst Park. A minimum of €40 million will be required to even begin negotiations.
Maxence Lacroix will want Champions League football
There is some bad news for Chelsea and their hopes of signing the Crystal Palace centre-back at the same time. The report goes on to state that Lacroix prefers a club that has qualified for the Champions League for next season. It is said to be a criterion that has become central to his decision when choosing his future destination.
Obviously, Chelsea won’t be able to provide him with that. The Blues finished 10th in the Premier League this season and won’t be playing in any European competition as a result.
Some might view that as a positive. They will have less football to deal with, but it has a lot of issues as well. Of course, the financial blow hurts. But at the same time, it might rule them out of several transfer races as well.
Xabi Alonso’s presence might help Chelsea sign players
The idea of playing under Alonso should be attractive for players. Chelsea will be hoping that helps them in the summer window.
Alonso is someone who has the ability to get the best out of players, when they are coachable. We saw that Bayer Leverkusen. He took a team that was in the relegation battle and turned them into the first Invincible Bundesliga champions in history inside two seasons.
Chelsea fans will be hoping for a similar level of miracle next season. Because that is what Alonso will need to pull off with this team as well.
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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