24 May 2026 14:05 BST |
4 min read
Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix is reportedly “expected” to play his final game for the club at Selhurst Park against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon ahead of a transfer during the upcoming summer window.
The France international, who was selected for the World Cup by Didier Deschamps in mid-May, has spent the past two years at Palace, but his stint in south London could be coming to an end this summer.
Lacroix worked with Palace boss Oliver Glasner during his time at VfL Wolfsburg and he could be set to follow his manager to the Selhurst Park exit door before the start of the 2026-26 campaign, as per a report from RMC Sport.
The 26-year-old’s current contract at Crystal Palace isn’t due to expire until 2029, however he is “expected” to play his final home match for the club this weekend before a move to one of the biggest clubs in Europe, with a fee in excess of €40 million set to be demanded.
It’s claimed that Lacroix is likely to remain in the Premier League this summer, although he would like to join a club who will be competing in the Champions League next season, which will narrow his potential options down to Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool and possibly even Bournemouth.
Chelsea are understood to have earmarked Lacroix as a top centre-back target for this summer, along with Brighton & Hove Albion star Jan Paul van Hecke, but their pursuit of his signature will be harmed by their failure to qualify for Europe’s elite club competition.
Lacroix has made 54 appearances for Crystal Palace across all competitions so far this season and if he does leave the club this summer, his final game for the club will likely be in the Europa Conference League final versus Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday evening.
Analysis: Why Chelsea should sign Maxence Lacroix
Although it’s reported that Lacroix wants to play Champions League football next season, data analytics experts SciSports believe that he would be an excellent signing for the Blues.
The Frenchman’s SciSkill rating of 103.3 would be the fourth-highest of any player in Chelsea’s current squad and he is regarded as a better central defender than Levi Colwill, Trevoh Chaolobah, Wesley Fofana and Tosin Adarabioyo.
Furthermore, Lacroix has crucial experience of playing in a back-three system, which is a formation that new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso may opt to utilise next season.
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