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Chelsea battle Liverpool in bid to fix Rosenior's biggest problem
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Chelsea are looking to add some much-needed experience to their backline, but they will have to beat Liverpool and Aston Villa to a deal.
Maxence Lacroix is in the sights of all three clubs, according to TeamTalk. The French centre-back played a key role in Crystal Palace’s FA Cup win in 2024/25, and he recently made his France debut, coming off the bench in the 2-1 friendly match victory over Brazil.
Lacroix is one of the quickest centre-backs in Europe, and he brings some experience as he already has 86 appearances for Palace in all competitions.
Current ETV
Maxence Lacroix
D (C)
C. Palace
Maxence Lacroix
D (C)
C. Palace
ETV Range
€37.5M - €45.9M
He also made 130 appearances for Wolfsburg over four full seasons before his €18 million move to the Premier League in 2024. A key part of Palace’s success under Oliver Glasner, Lacroix could be a shrewd signing for each of the three mentioned Premier League clubs, although German giants Bayern Munich are also reported to be in for him.
Lacroix a smart target for Chelsea and Liverpool
Both Liverpool and Chelsea could use a centre-back, and Lacroix makes perfect sense for each side.
Liverpool has its partnership of the future cemented in Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet, but with Virgil van Dijk in his mid-30s and Ibrahima Konate set to leave on a free transfer this summer, the club needs someone to partner Van Dijk and provide the bridge between the present and the future.
At 25 years old (turning 26 in a week), Lacroix is the perfect age to do just that, and he is a safe signing as he has proven his ability in the league and is fast enough to cover the ground that Liverpool’s midfielders have tended to leave in front of the backline this season.
Chelsea needs experience and stability at the back. Trevoh Chalobah has been nearly ever-present with 2,550 minutes played in 29 appearances in the league, but no other centre-back has played over 1,300 minutes.
Levi Colwill, who was ruled out for the season after suffering a knee injury in preseason, would likely fill in next to Chalobah for 2026/27, but Chelsea could use some competition in the position as they have allowed more league goals than Everton, Brighton, Sunderland, and Palace.
Palace fans would be disappointed to lose Lacroix after the club sold Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi in consecutive transfer windows, but the money from a bidding war could help them rebuild in the post-Glasner era.
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