Inside Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea transfer as club chiefs break four-year curse
Chelsea appear to have turned over a new leaf at Stamford Bridge, with the sporting leadership team set to do something they haven’t done in a very long time.
Maxence Lacroix of France at the World Cup(Image: Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Maxence Lacroix will become just the fifth player aged 26 or older to join Chelsea since the BlueCo takeover in May 2022, and the only fourth to command a transfer fee, marking a significant shift in the recruitment model at Stamford Bridge.
When Clearlake Capital, owned by Behdad Eghbali and José E Feliciano, and Todd Boehly joined forces to buy the west London outfit from Roman Abramovich four years ago, there was a mass exodus in the boardroom.
Many of those who helped the Russian billionaire transform Chelsea into a European powerhouse were either relieved of their duties or left the club. After 19 years as chairman, Bruce Buck stood down and took a senior advisory role.
Marina Granovskaia, widely regarded as one of the toughest negotiators in football during Abramovich’s reign, also departed. In their absence, Boehly was named as chairman and interim sporting director, despite having no experience at any level in football management.
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Petr Cech, who famously spearheaded Chelsea’s withdrawal from the controversial European Super League in April 2021, had resigned as Technical and Performance Advisor, leaving the American billionaire to fend for himself.
Although Boehly had enjoyed great success in the United States with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Lakers, arriving as a co-owner of the then-seven-time baseball World Series champions and 17-time NBA Finals winners, respectively, he was in unfamiliar territory.
Eager to bridge the 20-point or so gap to Manchester City and Liverpool, having just finished third in the Premier League, the private equity investor forked out over about £250m on signings during his first summer transfer window at the helm.
Three of the six additions to Thomas Tuchel’s squad were aged 26 or older: Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who cost a combined £90m.
It wasn’t long until they were each deemed surplus to requirements. Chelsea took a hit on the former Napoli defender, who joined Al-Hilal a year later for a cut-price fee, while the other two eventually had their contracts terminated.
Whether Boehly was haunted by the disastrous piece of business or BlueCo had always planned to execute a youth-centric recruitment model once the dust had settled, Chelsea didn’t sign another player aged 26 or older for two years.
In June 2024, now with Boehly out of the picture, the west London outfit signed Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract at Fulham. The deal raised eyebrows at the time, but with Chelsea in desperate need of an experienced player in the dressing room, it was brushed under the carpet.
Adarabioyo has hardly repaid the faith shown by the sporting leadership team at Stamford Bridge, failing to impress supporters who demand silverware and Champions League football. This summer, eager to break the over-25 curse, Chelsea appear to have turned over a new leaf.
When Xabi Alonso was appointed as manager earlier this summer, he was promised greater involvement in recruitment than his predecessors. Hence the job title.
Starting from a clean slate, Chelsea leapt out of the gates and set their sights on Granit Xhaka, who at the grand age of 33 would’ve become the joint-oldest player to join under the new owners.
The sporting leadership team were unsuccessful in their pursuit of the Sunderland midfielder, but they quickly turned their attention to two archetypal Alonso signings: Marco Palestra and Morgan Rogers.
Aged 21 and 23, respectively, they still fit the profile of the previous recruitment model. Chelsea have since agreed to sign Lacroix from Crystal Palace for about £52m, marking a significant shift in the vision at Stamford Bridge.
Although the France international is hardly a veteran of the game, he joins the Blues as one of the best centre-backs in the country, with a lot still to prove. In the Premier League last season, Lacroix was the only player to record more than 50 tackles, in excess of 200 duels won and over 250 clearances.
Over the last two English top-flight campaigns, only Virgil van Dijk has completed more clearances (465) than the Frenchman (455). Lacroix is expected to significantly upgrade the Chelsea backline, likely sitting alongside Levi Colwill and Jorrel Hato in Alonso’s synonymous back-three.
While the Chelsea manager looks to get his hands on some silverware and a place in the Champions League, higher-ups at Stamford Bridge will hope their new signing breaks the over-25 curse…
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