Aston Villa have now entered the packed race to sign a "sensational" Premier League star, alongside Liverpool, Chelsea and Bayern Munich.
Villa join race for in-demand defender amid Champions League push
Despite Unai Emery bizarrely suggesting his side weren't top five contenders earlier this season, Villa are firmly on course to qualify for next season's Champions League, having moved six points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea after last weekend's results.
The Villans ran out 2-0 winners against West Ham United at Villa Park, and Emery was very pleased with the overall performance, saying: "It is very difficult to win matches in the Premier League. Today, I am delighted with how the players responded. We set them a challenge, not only to win but to feel confidence in our structure. In the first half it was maybe the best half we have played here this year.
"We stopped them and we did everything like we planned. We needed at home to recover our confidence and energy, to be consistent over 90 minutes and to win. We are very motivated for the rest of the season, for the Europa League and to be in the top positions in the league."
Should Emery's side achieve their goal of Champions League qualification, they could be in a strong position to attract some top players in the summer, and they have now joined the race for an in-demand Premier League star.
Villa enter race to sign "sensational" France international
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Aston Villa have now surged into the race to sign Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix, but there could be fierce competition for his signature, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Bayern Munich also named as potential suitors.
Palace now have a 'growing concern' about Lacroix's future, but they are in a strong negotiating position, given that he remains under contract until 2029, and there is no release clause in the defender's current deal.
maxence-lacroix-crystal-palace
The 25-year-old has clearly been impressing for the Eagles this season, having recently earned his first cap for France, making his debut in a 2-1 victory against Brazil in a friendly.
Scout Antonio Mango has liked what he's seen from the France international since he arrived at Palace from Wolfsburg, taking to X to laud him near the end of last season.
The £50k-a-week centre-back has a fantastic record against Villa too, having won four and drawn two of his six matches against Emery's side in all competitions.
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No Aston Villa player has averaged more interceptions per 90 than Lacroix this season (1.3), and an average FotMob match rating of 7.08 is the third-highest in the Palace squad, indicating he could be a fantastic signing.
Aston Villa interception stats (Premier League 25/26) Average per 90
Amadou Onana 1.3
Douglas Luiz 1.3
Boubacar Kamara 1.1
Ian Maatsen 0.9
Ezri Konsa 0.8