Chelsea are reportedly making determined moves to strengthen a defence that new head coach Xabi Alonso wants rebuilt this summer. That urgency has taken them to Maxence Lacroix, the centre-back currently bolstering Crystal Palace’s backline, though they will have to fend off competition from Arsenal.
The Frenchman had a fine campaign in 2025/26, culminating in a historic UEFA Conference League win for the Eagles under Oliver Glasner. He is valued at £45 million, according to Transfermarkt, but Palace are reportedly willing to demand a lot more for their prized asset.
Lacroix is under contract at Selhurst Park until June 2029, and his deal does not include a release clause. He is believed to have turned down the opportunity to enter extension talks, leaving the door ajar for suitors pondering a summer approach. Chelsea are also in for a fight, with Liverpool seeing him as a long-term replacement for Ibrahima Konate. Bayern Munich, Arsenal, and Real Madrid are all linked with interest.
One report even suggested Chelsea could test Palace with a swap proposal involving Tosin Adarabioyo and a hefty cash payment. But for now the defender’s thoughts are on representing France at the ongoing World Cup. Any real progress is likely to have to wait until Alonso is up and running at the Bridge.
Could Chelsea look at Dean Huijsen again?
Chelsea’s defensive shopping list this summer is bound to bring back memories of the one that got away last year. Their bid for Dean Huijsen was their most serious in 2025, with the Blues having made three offers for the defender. Real Madrid eventually triggered the defender’s release clause, wrapping up the deal in around six hours and leaving Chelsea shell-shocked.
It was the persistence of Real Madrid and the enthusiasm of Xabi Alonso that eventually won the day on that one. And since then the Spaniard has swapped the Bernabeu for Stamford Bridge and inevitably that has sparked talk of whether he might revive that old affection. Last summer Chelsea were even prepared to offer Huijsen a seven-year deal, but the lure of his boyhood club proved too strong.
In reality, a reunion looks highly unlikely with the Spaniard becoming indispensable in the capital. Huijsen has established himself as a starter, playing consistently at the heart of the defence. Absent some dramatic and unlikely development, Chelsea will surely turn their attention to more realistic targets such as Lacroix.