Chelsea have completed the signing of centre-back Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace in a deal worth in the region of £52million ($69.2m).Lacroix had three years left on his Selhurst Park contract and Palace had been aware the player was keen to test himself at one of the more established Premier League clubs.Lacroix follows Morgan Rogers and Marco Palestra as summer arrivals into new manager Xabi Alonso’s squad, while other new signings on pre-existing agreements include winger Geovany Quenda and striker Emmanuel Emegha.Chelsea are continuing to work on deals for Jordan Henderson, who is a free agent after leaving Brentford, and Danny Welbeck of Brighton, as Alonso looks to add experience to his young squad.The Athletic reported on June 23 that Lacroix was one of Chelsea’s main transfer targets, with three or four other players also being considered. The club have also held an interest in Como centre-back Jacobo Ramon, who had a successful first season in Serie A under former Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas.Palace are looking at potential replacement options for Lacroix, including Trabzonspor’s Chibuike Nwaiwu.Lacroix was part of the Crystal Palace side that won the FA Cup in 2025 and the Conference League in May. At 26, he fits Chelsea’s desire to sign ‘ready-made’ players this summer.The centre-back was part of France’s World Cup squad and he made three appearances in the tournament as France reached the semi-final stage, with Lacroix starting in the third-place play-off defeat to England.Palace signed Lacroix from German club Wolfsburg in August 2024 for a fee of €18million, with a potential €3m due in add-ons. He has made 98 appearances across two seasons in south London.Chelsea will now focus on multiple defensive salesChelsea went into the window with two priority positions to fill. The versatile attacker role has been met with the arrival of Rogers, and Lacroix ticks the box for a new central defender.Lacroix has been the main target all along, despite the club looking at other options. At 26, he comes ready-made to slot next to Levi Colwill in the middle of Chelsea’s backline.He knows what it takes to play in the Premier League having spent the last two years at Palace, winning the FA Cup and Conference League.Chelsea’s defence was in need of a new recruit. Their struggle to keep clean sheets — they ended the 2025-26 campaign conceding in 16 successive league games — was a big factor in a disappointing 10th-place finish.Lacroix’s arrival means consequences for others, although new manager Alonso has yet to confirm whether he is going to play with a back three or back four.But Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi, who was on loan at West Ham United for the second half of 2025-26, have already been put up for sale. Trevoh Chalobah is another on the way out with Italian Como keen to secure his services, while Mamadou Sarr has been earmarked to join an English club on loan.There is now a strong possibility Wesley Fofana, bought from Leicester City for £69.5m in 2022, will drop down the pecking order, along with Tosin Adarabioyo.