Chelsea sign Lacroix from Palace

Maxence Lacroix has signed a six-year deal at Stamford Bridge; the 26-year-old joined Crystal Palace from Wolfsburg in 2024, helping the Eagles win the FA Cup and Conference League; first time since 2022 Chelsea have paid a transfer fee for a player 26 or older

>Chelsea have completed the signing of Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace in a deal worth £51m.

>The 26-year-old central defender has signed a six-year contract at Stamford Bridge. Lacroix's arrival takes the club's spending to beyond £250m this summer.

>Lacroix becomes the first player Chelsea have signed for a fee aged 26 or over since the summer of 2022, with the club also set to complete deals for 35-year-old Danny Welbeck and 36-year-old Jordan Henderson.

>This is a deliberate change in transfer policy from Chelsea to target more experienced palyers that has been embraced by new manager Xabi Alonso.

>Palace were seeking around £55m in negotiations, given the fee Tottenham paid for Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton.

>Chelsea are expected to move on a number of defenders in this window, including Trevoh Chalobah, Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi, having already raised more than £130m from player sales and the compensation received from Manchester City for Enzo Maresca.

>Sky Sports News understands Chelsea gave Palace the chance to discuss signing one of their defenders available for transfer during talks.

>Palace and Chelsea have a good relationship and they have done deals for players such as Chalobah and Ben Chilwell in the past.

>Lacroix said: "I think it's the best move for me because it's the best club in the world.

>"I spoke with Malo [Gusto]. I spoke with Trev [Chalobah]. I spoke with Benoit [Badiashile]. It's easy for people to speak well about this club because it has a lot of big history and I'm really proud to be a part of it now.

>"I spoke with the manager on the phone. We spoke about tactics, we spoke about how he sees the game. First of all, I was happy just to speak about football with him, and I saw that we have the same direction and desire for this club.

>"When I spoke with the gaffer, when I spoke also with the people I know from the national team who play for Chelsea, like Malo, they told me it was the best club I can go to.

>"So already I was saying: "Okay, I don't need to think too much". After talking to people I said to myself: "This is the best step forward for me"."

>Far from a veteran, Lacroix, 26, is entering his prime after two strong seasons with Palace. Beyond Selhurst Park, perhaps the Frenchman has gone a little under the radar. But, particularly since Marc Guehi's exit, there is growing awareness of his key role.

>Oliver Glasner, who worked with him in both Germany and England, rather summed it up with his own verdict on the player recently. "There is Maxence Lacroix, who came from Wolfsburg, and many asked, 'Why did you sign this player?' I think he stepped up."

>Few defenders boast his skillset. Lacroix ranks among the top five fastest centre-backs in the Premier League since his arrival from Wolfsburg in 2024. That recovery speed helps make him one of the most formidable one-on-one defenders in the competition.

>The numbers back that up to. In one-on-one situations, nobody is better than Lacroix at winning the ball back. He is the only player in the Premier League to have faced 50 or more such situations in the past two seasons and won the ball more often than not.

>At 6ft 4in, Lacroix is a robust physical presence who has adapted easily to the demands of the Premier League. He has all the stats to support that, ranking third for clearances and seventh for aerial duels won. But he can do more than defend his box.

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