Premier League giants Chelsea are reportedly finalising a deal to sign France international defender Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace.
According to The Athletic and widespread reports in the UK, Lacroix was set for a medical on Friday before joining Chelsea from UEFA Europa League champions Palace.
Chelsea are set to splash £52million ($99million AUD) on the 26-year-old centre-back.
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Lacroix has made 98 appearances for Palace since joining from German club Wolfsburg in a deal worth up to $34.5million AUD in August 2024.
He also featured for France at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, where Les Bleus reached the semi-finals before losing 6-4 to England in the third-place playoff.
🚨 Maxence Lacroix set for medical today before joining Chelsea from Crystal Palace. ~£52m deal being finalised. 26yo centre-back to sign #CFC contract until June 2032. Chibuike Nwaiwu among alternative #CPFC options to Chrislain Matsima @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/pcDRsZHaNu — David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) July 24, 2026
It comes after Chelsea smashed the British transfer record to sign England international Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa.
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Lacroix is set to become Chelsea’s fifth signing after Rogers, Geovany Quenda, Marco Palestra and Emmanuel Emegha while Marc Cucerella, Andrey Santos, Tyrique George and Alejandro Garnacho (loan) have departed.
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Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso announced his first Chelsea squad, with a 27-man group travelling Down Under to take on A-League club Western Sydney and fellow London based Premier League outfit Tottenham in the Sydney Super Cup.
Headlined by Cole Palmer, who was not in England’s World Cup squad and will be eager to prove he should have been this season, Alonso has named a side sprinkled with big names, including Spanish goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, French defender Wesley Fofana and Brazilian duo Estevao and Joao Pedro.
While star new signing Rogers and returning striker Nicolas Jackson, who was on loan at Bayern Munich last season, are not included, striker Liam Delap gets the chance to steal the inside running vying for positions this season with Brazilian Pedro, another stinging from World Cup omission.
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Chelsea’s group of World Cup stars, including England’s Reece James, Argentina’s Enzo Fernandes and Portugal’s Pedro Neto are not included in a contingent largely filled by academy prospects, as well as new signing, fullback Marco Palestra from Atalanta.
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