Chelsea are in active discussions with Crystal Palace over the signing of defender Maxence Lacroix, with the Eagles demanding more than £55m to part with the France international.

According to Sky Sports News, Palace have set their price above the £55m Tottenham spent on Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton — a figure they regard as the benchmark for this type of transfer. Lacroix, 26, arrived at Palace from Wolfsburg in 2024.

A deal built on strong relations

The two clubs have a constructive working relationship at boardroom level, having previously completed transfers involving Trevoh Chalobah and Ben Chilwell. Chelsea are now seeking a physically imposing centre-back with Premier League experience, and Lacroix fits that profile.

The Blues have generated around £130m from player sales so far this summer, with further departures expected. Among the defenders who could leave are Chalobah, Benoit Badiashile, Malo Gusto, and Axel Disasi.

Rogers set for British-record move

Lacroix talks are not Chelsea's only major business this window. Morgan Rogers arrived for a medical at the club on Monday ahead of a British-record £117m move from Aston Villa. Should the deal complete without issue, Rogers is expected to sign a six-year contract — with an option for a seventh year — keeping him at the club until 2033.

Rogers had just returned from the United States, where England finished third at the World Cup following a bronze-medal victory over France. Chelsea acted swiftly to secure his signature, moving ahead of Arsenal, who declined to match the asking price despite Rogers being their top forward target.

The deal will make Rogers the most expensive British player in history, surpassing the £116m Manchester City paid for Elliot Anderson. It will also eclipse Chelsea's existing club record — the £115m paid to Brighton for Moises Caicedo in 2023.

Chelsea's summer transfers at a glance

The club's key arrivals this summer include Geovany Quenda from Sporting for £43.5m, Marco Palestra from Atalanta for £43m, Denner from Corinthians for £8.7m, Dastan Satpaev from Kairat Almaty for £2.1m, and Emmanuel Emegha from Strasbourg for an undisclosed fee.

On the outgoing side, Marc Cucurella has joined Real Madrid for £51.8m, Andrey Santos has moved to Man Utd for £50m, Tyrique George has signed for Everton for £24m, and Jimmy-Jay Morgan has joined West Brom for £4m.