Chelsea are on the brink of making another big summer signing: this time, another defender. | OneFootball

The Xabi Alonso era is underway as Absolute Chelsea previews the pre-season tour of Australia and Asia. Video Credit: Absolute Chelsea

Chelsea are close to completing a deal worth around £52 million to sign Crystal Palace centre-back Maxence Lacroix.

The Blues are now on the verge of bringing in their third summer signing, after Marco Palestra and Morgan Rogers, following advanced talks with Crystal Palace over Lacroix.

According to The Athletic, Lacroix is even scheduled to undergo his medical on Friday to finalise the move to Stamford Bridge.

The 26-year-old is also expected to sign a six-year deal with Chelsea, which would tie him to the club until 2032.

Since joining Crystal Palace from Wolfsburg in the summer of 2024, Lacroix has proved to be an invaluable asset to their side.

He has helped the Eagles win their first-ever major trophy after beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final in the 2024/25 season.

The following season, Crystal Palace went on to win their first-ever European trophy, defeating Spanish side Rayo Vallecano in the UEFA Conference League final.

Lacroix played for the entirety of both finals, in which Crystal Palace managed to keep two clean sheets.

He finished last season with 55 appearances for the club across all competitions.

The France international played a big part in Crystal Palace recording the third-most clean sheets (12) in the Premier League after Arsenal and Manchester City.

It is therefore not a surprise that Chelsea have made him one of their primary summer targets.

What Lacroix’s arrival would mean to current Chelsea defenders

As it stands, Chelsea already have eight centre-backs in their senior squad: Levi Colwill, Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Mamadou Sarr, Tosin Adarabioyo, Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, and Aaron Anselmino. Josh Acheampong is also another option for the Blues.

Chalobah has been the subject of interest from Como, who have had a couple of bids rejected this summer. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Chelsea have already been facing the issue of trimming their squad in this transfer window, but Lacroix’s potential arrival would only put them under even more pressure.

Except for Colwill, who is expected to be a mainstay in the team under Xabi Alonso, the future of the rest of the centre-back options remains uncertain.

Their marketability in the transfer window and their willingness to move down in the pecking order would likely dictate the club’s decisions.

Chalobah and Disasi, in particular, have been linked with potential transfers to Italian clubs.

It is also worth noting that Reece James and Jorrel Hato are also capable of playing as centre-backs, especially if Alonso decides to go with a back-three formation.

Since Chelsea will not compete in any European competitions this season, there is less need for squad rotation, too.