Chelsea have stepped up their pursuit of Maxence Lacroix, but the numbers around the deal are already doing most of the talking. L’Equipe say the move could be worth around €55 million (£47m) after the 2026 World Cup, while football.london say Chelsea have made an official enquiry and direct club-to-club talks with Crystal Palace began a couple of days ago. CaughtOffside, though, say Palace are expected to demand at least £50m.

Palace's stance on the fee

That gap is the real problem. Chelsea are dealing with a club that does not look inclined to sell cheaply, and Palace’s posture fits the wider picture around Lacroix. Thehardtackle say he joined Palace from VfL Wolfsburg in August 2024 for £18 million, and he has since become a key part of their back line.

Palace also finished 15th in the Premier League, which is hardly the profile of a side under pressure to cash in. The recent run has not been desperate either, with Palace’s last five results reading W-L-D-L-D. That is enough to give them room to hold out for a premium if Chelsea want to get this done.

Chelsea's need at centre-back

Chelsea’s end-of-season numbers explain why they are pushing. They finished 10th in the Premier League and conceded eight goals in their last five matches, which is a pretty clear reason to target another centre-back during the summer reset.

Lacroix has the profile Chelsea want as well as the current form to justify the noise around him. Thehardtackle say he has made nearly 100 appearances for Palace, with four goals and four assists, and he averaged 6.58 across his last five Palace matches while completing all five games and playing 433 minutes.

The other detail is timing. Some reports point to an announcement only after the World Cup, while football.london’s club-to-club talks suggest Chelsea are working on it now. At this stage the story is less about whether Chelsea like Lacroix, and more about whether they are willing to meet Palace’s price and wait for the window that makes the deal possible.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →