Chelsea have completed the £52m signing of France international Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace. The 26-year-old centre-back, capped seven times, has agreed a contract at Stamford Bridge through 2032.
Lacroix joined Palace from Wolfsburg in 2024 for an initial £15.5m and became a regular under Oliver Glasner. He made 55 appearances in all competitions as Palace won the UEFA Conference League, the club’s first major European trophy.
He featured three times for France at the 2026 World Cup, including the third-place play-off against England, with Les Bleus finishing fourth.
Lacroix said he was thrilled to link up with players such as Reece James and Morgan Rogers and excited to help write the next chapter of Chelsea’s story. He becomes Chelsea’s third signing of the summer, following Rogers and Marco Palestra, as the club prepares for its first season under new head coach Xabi Alonso.
Previously agreed deals for Geovany Quenda and Emmanuel Emegha were finalised this month. Chelsea are also in talks to sign Brighton striker Danny Welbeck and Brentford midfielder Jordan Henderson.