Chelsea have completed a £51m deal for Maxence Lacroix, and the France international has already spoken of his excitement at working alongside Reece James and Morgan Rogers. The commanding centre-back, 26, has signed a deal at Stamford Bridge until 2032 and is set to link up with his new team-mates ahead of the 2026/27 season.
The Frenchman’s rise has been quiet and relentless since his £18m move from Wolfsburg to Crystal Palace in 2024, an arrival that was met with a fair amount of scepticism across the English game. He made 35 Premier League appearances last term, netting once and providing two assists as he made 281 clearances and won 111 aerial duels.
Asked if he was excited about playing with such players instead of against them, Lacroix shared his delight:
“Of course! We want the best players in our team, of course. But I think when I saw the players like Reece, like Morgan, I was just really happy to be also, in a way, in their story, you know? To write part of the Chelsea story with them.”
Morgan Rogers arrived from Aston Villa for a record-breaking £117 million to become the most expensive British footballer in history; James remains the club captain and its most totemic homegrown presence.
He further added:
“I think it is really important for a team and for a defender to be a leader because we are in the back and we can see everything on the pitch… The thing I can say is from day one to the last one I will give all I have to prove and to show that this club is one of the best in the world.”
Xabi Alonso on the fine balance he demands of his rebuilt Chelsea squad
Xabi Alonso spoke to the assembled media in Sydney after Chelsea’s pre-season match against the Western Sydney Wanderers, where questions inevitably turned to his lavish recruitment. The Spaniard was asked to spell out what the new signings would bring to his re-formed squad.
Chelsea have now spent more than £250 million this summer, with more than £130 million coming in sales and compensation from Manchester City for Enzo Maresca. The nearly-concluded deals for veteran duo Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson are further proof of a deliberate shift towards experience and temperament.
Alonso explained:
“Well we want to build a competitive team. For sure we are in that process, we have great quality, great talent and we need to know what it takes to compete in the Premier League. And we want to have a squad with the right balance between quality and mentality…”
Such language suggests Lacroix was being wooed as much for his attitude as for his aerial supremacy and his impressive pace of recovery. It is a clear break from doctrine, with the defender being the first Chelsea have bought for a fee aged 26 or older since the summer of 2022.