Chelsea have reached an agreement with Crystal Palace to sign Maxence Lacroix, with the France defender now set to complete a move to Stamford Bridge.
The 26-year-old has granted permission for the transfer to be finalised after Chelsea successfully concluded negotiations with the FA Cup and UEFA Conference League winners.
Palace are now accelerating their search for a replacement as Pierre Sage prepares for his first season in charge.
Chelsea complete breakthrough in Lacroix pursuit
Chelsea have secured an agreement with Crystal Palace after weeks of negotiations over Lacroix.
The Eagles were seeking a fee of around £55 million, using Tottenham Hotspur's recent signing of Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton as a benchmark during discussions.
Lacroix is now expected to complete the remaining formalities before officially becoming a Chelsea player.
Palace could sign Chelsea defender
As part of negotiations, Chelsea have offered Crystal Palace the opportunity to sign one of several defenders available for transfer this summer.
Axel Disasi, Trevoh Chalobah and Benoît Badiashile are all understood to have attracted interest from other clubs and could be considered by Palace as potential replacements.
The two London clubs have maintained a strong working relationship in recent years, having previously completed deals involving Chalobah and Ben Chilwell.
Palace reassess centre-back targets
Crystal Palace had been pursuing Chrislain Matsima, but Sky Sports News reports the club are now prepared to end their interest after becoming frustrated by the pace of negotiations.
The Eagles have been actively searching for defensive reinforcements since the January sale of Marc Guéhi to Manchester City.
Several alternatives remain under consideration as Palace look to strengthen their back line before the new season.
More names remain on Palace shortlist
Alongside Matsima, Palace have monitored several defenders across Europe.
Charlie Cresswell of Toulouse, Ruben Kluivert of Lyon and Chibuke Nwaiwu of Trabzonspor have all featured on the club's shortlist.
Nwaiwu is also attracting interest from Fulham as the transfer market continues to gather pace.
Key Points
- Chelsea have agreed a deal with Crystal Palace to sign Maxence Lacroix.
- The France defender has given permission for the transfer to be completed.
- Crystal Palace could replace Lacroix with one of Chelsea's available defenders.
- The Eagles are prepared to end their pursuit of Chrislain Matsima.
- Several alternative centre-back targets remain under consideration.
What's Next?
Chelsea are expected to complete Maxence Lacroix's transfer in the coming days, while Crystal Palace intensify their search for a replacement defender. Axel Disasi remains among the leading candidates as Palace look to strengthen before the Premier League season begins.
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