Chelsea are keen on signing Crystal Palace pair Maxence Lacroix and Adam Wharton, according to reports.
Football.London journalist Bobby Vincent claims that both players have been mentioned in recent recruitment meetings.
Manager Xabi Alonso is keen on adding another centre-back option, and Vincent says the Blues have “talked internally” about signing Lacroix.
The Frenchman is, however, not the only target being discussed by Alonso and the recruitment team.
Wharton, meanwhile, is being “looked at”, with the club needing to have a contingency plan in place if Enzo Fernandez leaves Stamford Bridge.
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How much could Lacroix and Wharton cost?
Palace are not expected to allow either player to leave on the cheap. Lacroix is contracted to the Eagles for another three years, and it is believed his asking price could be as high as £50m.
Wharton has a similar length of time remaining on his current deal, but he could fetch upwards of £80m due to competition from other clubs.
Liverpool and Manchester United have also been credited with an interest in the England international.
Do Chelsea have £130m to spend?
The lack of Champions League football means that the Blues will ned to cut their cloth accordingly this summer. However, the club is anticipating sales.
Fernandez’s asking price is reportedly £120m, and if they receive an offer anything close to that, it would greatly strengthen the transfer kitty.
Marc Cucurella is also attracting a lot of interest, with both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona keen on securing his signature. The Spaniard could end up being sold for as much as £60m.
Other potential departures such as Filip Jorgensen, Benoit Badiashile, Liam Delap and (potentially) Alejandro Garnacho could also help fund a squad revamp. There could be a lot of movement in and out of Cobham over the coming weeks.
Read more about the Chelsea First Team Squad for 2025/26 here