Chelsea signs French player Lacroix

English club Chelsea signed French international defender Maxence Lacroix from London rivals Crystal Palace on Thursday in a deal valued at £52 million ($69 million).

Lacroix signed a six-year contract with the Blues and will join his new team to participate in preparations for the upcoming season.

The 26-year-old, who has earned seven caps for the French national team and featured in the last World Cup, said, “I am very happy to join this wonderful club. Everyone knows Chelsea’s legacy and its history of winning titles. To be part of that is a moment of pride for me.”

He added, “When I spoke with the manager, I saw that we share the same direction and desire as the club. We want to win. And when you see the quality of the players here and everything surrounding the club, winning is something we can achieve. The ambition is to win titles, and I look forward to contributing to that.”

Lacroix made 98 appearances for Crystal Palace since joining them from German club Wolfsburg in 2024.

Lacroix becomes Chelsea’s latest signing in the current transfer window under new Spanish manager Xabi Alonso, following the club’s British record signing of Aston Villa striker Morgan Rogers for £117 million and the acquisition of Italian right-back Marco Bresciani from Atalanta for £47 million.

Portuguese player Giovanni Queirós and Dutch player Emmanuel Immobile also joined Chelsea in transfers that were initially agreed upon in 2025.