Chelsea confirm £52m Maxence Lacroix transfer as Xabi Alonso lands third summer signing
Maxence Lacroix says he has joined ‘the best club in the world’ after finally completing his £52million move to Chelsea.
In one of the summer window’s worst-kept secrets, the Frenchman has left Crystal Palace to make the move across London by signing a contract until 2032.
The French World Cup star has become the third senior player to join the Blues following the appointment of Xabi Alonso as manager earlier this summer.
Lacroix follows the arrivals of Marco Palestra and Morgan Rogers, taking Chelsea’s total spend for the transfer window up to just over £200m.
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Football.london understands that the Blues have tweaked their recruitment model, deviating from a youth-centric approach, hence the mix of ready-made and exciting young talent this summer. His move also represents the first time Chelsea have paid a transfer fee for a player over the age of 26 since 2022.
The Blues are also closing in on the signings of experienced duo Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson.
The experienced defender, who won the FA Cup and Conference League during his time in south London, admits speaking to former Eagles team-mate Trevoh Chalobah, as well as Malo Gusto and Benoit Badiashile; three conversations that helped encourage him to join the Blues.
Lacroix said: “I think it’s the best move for me because it’s the best club in the world. I spoke with Malo (Gusto). I spoke with Trev (Chalobah). I spoke with Benoit (Badiashile). It’s easy for people to speak well about this club because it has a lot of big history and I’m really proud to be a part of it now.
“I spoke with the manager on the phone. We spoke about tactics, we spoke about how he sees the game. First of all, I was happy just to speak about football with him, and I saw that we have the same direction and desire for this club.
“When I spoke with the gaffer, when I spoke also with the people I know from the national team who play for Chelsea, like Malo, they told me it was the best club I can go to.
“So already I was saying: “Okay, I don’t need to think too much”. After talking to people I said to myself: ‘This is the best step forward for me’.”
Lacroix leaves south London as a Palace hero, having been a key member under Oliver Glasner to help the Eagles secure historic triumphs in the FA Cup and Conference League.
He was also part of France’s World Cup squad who suffered semi-final heartbreak against eventual winners Spain – and he is now ready to take the next step in his career.
He added: “Of course, I know the league and I have also won trophies in England already, so I’m really happy to go into this next step in my career and to continue also this story in England for me.
“I have only played once at Stamford Bridge but I remember the day very well. We drew (0-0 on the opening day of last season) and it was an unbelievable day. To be honest, it felt good playing there. So now I’m just waiting to take my first step there as a Chelsea player.”
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