Chelsea have intensified their pursuit of Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix following a fresh round of talks between the two clubs. Palace are demanding a minimum fee of £60 million for the 26-year-old France international, who has three years remaining on his contract.
The south London club are seeking a fee exceeding the £55 million Tottenham paid for Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton to sanction the sale. Lacroix has made 98 appearances for Palace since joining from Wolfsburg in August 2024.
Chelsea are preparing a British-record £117 million move for Aston Villa attacker Morgan Rogers, who arrived for a medical on Monday. The club has also completed a £45 million signing of Marco Palestra from Atalanta and raised approximately £130 million from sales this window.