Chelsea's summer spending shows no sign of slowing. Maxence Lacroix, Crystal Palace's French centre-back, was in west London on Friday to undergo a medical ahead of a move worth in the region of £52 million (roughly €55m), according to ONE and multiple outlets tracking the deal.
Lacroix, 26, is expected to sign a six-year contract taking him through to 2032. He joined Palace from Wolfsburg in 2024 and made himself indispensable at Selhurst Park, racking up close to 100 appearances across two seasons and playing a central role in the club's Conference League triumph.
He has also broken into the France squad, appearing for Les Bleus at this summer's World Cup. His departure would mark Chelsea's seventh signing of the window, part of a defensive rebuild that has continued at pace since the Premier League season ended.
Elsewhere, Inter Milan have moved on a different centre-back. ONE reports that the Serie A champions have made direct contact with representatives for Cristian Romero, the Tottenham captain, as speculation over his future intensifies following Argentina's World Cup campaign.
According to Fabrizio Romano, cited by ONE, the move is "very expensive and not straightforward" — Inter will need to negotiate down both Tottenham's asking price and the financial package required to satisfy the player, but the club regard Romero as their priority defensive target.
Other reporting this week has Tottenham demanding at least €50 million for the 28-year-old, with Romero's agent said to have travelled to Milan as talks intensified. Romano has been unequivocal about the player's outlook at Spurs: "It's over between Romero and Tottenham... he's leaving, that's the intention."
Barcelona and Chelsea have also been credited with interest in Romero, but reports from Italy and England suggest he is more inclined to push through a move to Inter than to hold out for a switch to Catalonia.
Romero arrived at Tottenham from Atalanta in 2022 and has since become one of the club's most influential defenders, taking the captain's armband and helping Spurs to their first major trophy in years when they lifted the Europa League last season.
Neither deal is finalised, and ONE's report frames both as developing situations rather than done business — Lacroix's medical is the clearer step toward completion, while the Romero pursuit remains at the negotiating stage.
