How Chelsea could line up with Maxence Lacroix as £52m transfer nears completion

Chelsea are acceptable to bolster Xabi Alonso's antiaircraft options with the summation of France planetary Maxence Lacroix.

The Blues person been working connected a woody to adhd Lacroix to a squad that has already been strengthened by the likes of Morgan Rogers, Marco Palestra and Geovany Quenda.

As per The Athletic, Chelsea are successful the process of finalising a £52m transportation with Palace, meaning it is lone a substance of clip until Lacroix is officially unveiled arsenic the newest subordinate of Alonso's squad.

Ahead of the authoritative confirmation, Sports Mole looks astatine however Chelsea could enactment up with Lacroix successful their side, considering the anticipation that Alonso could play with a backmost 3 oregon backmost four.

How Lacroix could enactment up successful backmost three

Alonso favoured a 3-4-2-1 enactment during his palmy clip astatine Bayer Leverkusen, wherever helium won the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and oversaw a tally to the Europa League final.

Lacroix has go good accustomed to the demands of playing a backmost 3 nether Oliver Glasner astatine Palace.

Glasner has utilized Lacroix successful the cardinal relation successful a backmost 3 arsenic good arsenic 1 of the spots either broadside of the cardinal defender.

Lacroix's aerial dominance and quality to triumph duels marque him a bully campaigner to run arsenic the mediate defender successful the backmost three.

Such a relation would besides springiness Lacroix enactment work to marshal the centre-backs connected either broadside of him. 

In this scenario, Levi Colwill would beryllium the wide enactment to instrumentality up the near centre-back position, portion Reece James could diagnostic successful the close centre-back role, though Alonso could besides see Wesley Fofana oregon Josh Acheampong for that spot. 

Alternatively, Alonso whitethorn consciousness that Lacroix's athleticism and his betterment velocity marque him an perfect campaigner to run arsenic a close centre-back.

In theory, helium could besides play arsenic the near cardinal defender successful the backmost three, but Levi Colwill and Jorrel Hato are amended options for that spot.

In fact, Alonso could acceptable each 3 successful the backline by playing Colwill centrally and Hato arsenic the near centre-back.

Lacroix's eagerness to measurement retired of the antiaircraft enactment to intercept passes whitethorn beryllium amended suited to this role, purely due to the fact that helium would person the information nett of the cardinal defender covering immoderate abstraction helium vacates.

That said, his assertive defending benignant tin pb to fouls, thing that whitethorn beryllium much communal if helium finds himself successful one-on-one situations against the opposition's left-winger, which is little apt to hap if helium operates successful a cardinal role. 

How Lacroix could enactment up successful a backmost four

Alonso utilized a backmost 4 for the bulk of his little tenure arsenic Real Madrid boss, truthful helium volition see it arsenic an enactment astatine Chelsea, adjacent if helium decides to commencement retired with a three-man defence.

Lacroix has caller acquisition of playing successful a backmost 4 successful France's 2026 World Cup campaign, wherever helium made 3 appearances. 

The Frenchman, who besides spent clip playing arsenic 1 of 2 centre-backs astatine Wolfsburg, would signifier a concern with Colwill if Alonso goes down the way of a four-man backline. 

In this scenario, James would play connected the close broadside of Lacroix arsenic the accepted full-back, portion Hato could capable the left-back position. 

Final verdict

Lacroix's imposing stature and aerial strength, combined with his quality to work the game, marque him a large enactment to play successful a cardinal relation successful a three.

This would besides let Alonso to play with large ball-playing defenders successful Colwill and James arsenic the near and close centre-backs, ensuring Chelsea's backline would beryllium an plus with the shot arsenic good arsenic retired of possession.