Chelsea book Maxence Lacroix medical as £52m deal agreed for Crystal Palace star

The Crystal Palace centre-back is undergoing a medical in London ahead of a move that Standard Sport understands is expected to be finalised on Friday.Chelsea will pay a fee of £52million to sign the defender, who has been away on international duty this summer competing in the World Cup for France.The 26-year-old has been an integral part of Palace’s defence since signing from Wolfsburg in 2024, helping them to lift the FA Cup, Community Shield and Conference League. While Palace wanted to keep hold of Lacroix, they were also accepting of the fact that he wanted to explore opportunities elsewhere, and so have been scouting potential replacements for some time. Chelsea would prefer a permanent transfer for Disasi and are seeking a fee of £25m plus add-ons for the 28-year-old. Lacroix will become Chelsea’s third summer signing so far after the arrivals of Marco Palestra and Morgan Rogers. Striker Emmanuel Emegha and winger Geovany Quenda have also joined the club on pre-contract agreements, leaving Strasbourg and Sporting respectively.