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Chelsea## Chelsea are closing in on signing Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix with the Frenchman set for a medical ahead of putting pen-to-paper on a long-term contract
09:49, 24 Jul 2026Updated 10:03, 24 Jul 2026
Chelsea are in the process of finalising a £52million deal to sign Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix.
Lacroix, 26, who made three appearances for France at the World Cup, is scheduled to undergo a medical on Friday before signing a six-year deal that will see him contracted to the Blues until 2032, according to The Athletic.
Should Lacroix sign, as expected, he would become the Blues' seventh summer signing, after Morgan Rogers, Marco Palestra, Geovany Quenda, Denner, Dastan Satpaev and Emmanuel Emegha arrived through the doors.
The Frenchman emerged as the Blues' top centre-back target at the start of the summer transfer window, with three others being considered including Como's Jacobo Ramon and ex-Manchester City defender John Stones.
But Chelsea have since pressed ahead with a deal for Lacroix following another impressive season at Palace, where he was an integral part of their Conference League win. In total, he made 55 appearances across all competitions, scoring three goals and registering three assists.
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Maxence Lacroix
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Premier League