Chelsea seal £52m deal for Palace defender Lacroix

World Cup defender Maxence Lacroix swaps Selhurst Park for Stamford Bridge in a blockbuster move.

M. Lacroix

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What happened. Chelsea have signed France World Cup defender Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace for £52m on a contract until 2032.

• Lacroix, 26, made 55 appearances for Palace and won the Conference League.
• He played for France at the 2026 World Cup, including against England.
• He is Chelsea's third signing this summer, joining Morgan Rogers and Marco Palestra.

Lacroix is expected to add physicality and leadership to Chelsea's defence under new boss Xabi Alonso.

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