Chelsea are closing in on a deal to sign Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix, talkSPORT understands.
Lacroix is expected to arrive at Stamford Bridge in a deal worth north of £55million with Palace chairman Steve Parish personally handling the negotiations.
Lacroix, who represented France at the World Cup, is on his way to ChelseaGetty
Parish is wasting no time in ensuring Palace aren’t caught short defensively, though, with a replacement ready and waiting.
talkSPORT understands the Eagles are in advanced talks with Augsburg to sign French centre-back Chrislain Matsima.
Jan Paul van Hecke’s recent £52m move from Brighton to Tottenham Hotspur was as a yardstick in the talks between Palace and Chelsea.
Lacroix has spent the summer at the World Cup with France and first played in their 4-1 win over Norway.
He came off the bench in the 2-0 semi-final defeat against Spain and then started as England beat them 6-4 in a wild bronze medal match.
Lacroix has made 98 appearances across two seasons for Palace since his 2024 move from VfL Wolfsburg.
The defender has also won the FA Cup, Conference League and Community Shield throughout his spell at Selhurst Park.
Another busy Chelsea transfer window
Chelsea had the signings of Geovany Quenda and Emmanuel Emegha lined up before the transfer window opened this summer.
Marco Palestra has also moved to Stamford Bridge from Atalanta in a £47m switch.
They have also completed the signing of young attacking midfielder Harrison Bettoni from Wigan.
But the Blues’ big signing was confirmed earlier this week with Morgan Rogers joining from Aston Villa in a British record £117million deal.
Lacroix played a key role in Palace’s European successGetty
Now it’s down to Matsima to lead the Palace defenceGetty
Rogers was the leading target for Arsenal but it’s Chelsea who will welcome the England star, whose medical is scheduled for Monday.
His former club Middlesbrough are also in line for a large sum as part of the deal.
Middlesbrough bought Rogers from Manchester City in July 2023 for £1.1m and sold him to Villa seven months later for an initial £15.5m.
The Championship outfit will bank 20 per cent of the profit from Villa’s sale, which looks set to be £20.3m.
Regarding outgoings, Marc Cucurella has been sold to Real Madrid for around £52m.
Andrey Santos has joined Manchester United in a £50m move, whilst Tyrique George has permanently joined Everton for a reported £24m.
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Chelsea close in on Maxence Lacroix signing as Crystal Palace line up immediate replacement
