Chelsea transfer news: Talks 'rapidly' advancing for £18m Premier League centre-back as Xabi Alonso reshapes defence

Chelsea are rapidly advancing successful their pursuit of Crystal Palace centre-back Maxence Lacroix, the newest study has claimed.

The Blues volition anticipation for a importantly improved Premier League run successful 2026-27, with the nine having finished 10th successful the table.

Now that Xabi Alonso has arrived astatine Stamford Bridge, fans are hopeful that his squad volition beryllium reinforced with the indispensable additions to instrumentality the squad forward.

The vulnerabilities of the Londoners' backline past word whitethorn marque the defence a precedence this summer, particularly if they person ambitions of challenging for silverware.

TEAMtalk assertion that Chelsea are rapidly advancing successful talks for Crystal Palace centre-back Maxence Lacroix, who was signed by the Eagles for £18m from Wolfsburg successful 2024.

Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea: The close people for Xabi Alonso?

Crystal Palace won the FA Cup successful 2025 and the Conference League successful 2026, and Lacroix played a starring relation successful some triumphs.

The defender is simply a beardown passer of the ball, which could beryllium peculiarly utile successful Alonso's possession-based system.

Lacroix is besides comfy dealing with physically imposing opponents, with the defender having won 61% of his duels successful the crushed and connected the aerial past term.

The 26-year-old has sizeable acquisition successful the Premier League, and that could beryllium captious for Chelsea's defence fixed they person often signed younger stars, who person predictably struggled to accommodate to beingness successful England.

Xabi Alonso's summertime revolution: A backmost three?

Chelsea volition besides beryllium connected the lookout for different defenders this summertime arsenic the likes of Benoit Badiashile, Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah person proven to beryllium unreliable.

Levi Colwill is definite to beryllium a starter successful defence adjacent term, portion Reece James volition apt beryllium selected arsenic agelong arsenic helium remains wounded free.

There is simply a accidental that Alonso could usage a three-man defence astatine Stamford Bridge considering helium utilized specified a strategy astatine Bayer Leverkusen, and it should beryllium noted that Lacroix played successful the mediate of a backmost 3 for Palace.

Colwill is simply a beardown acceptable for the left-sided role, portion James has acquisition connected the right, though the nine would whitethorn inactive request a near and close wing-back.