Chelsea legend Marcel Desailly has cast doubt on the club's £52 million pursuit of Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix, arguing that manager Xabi Alonso needs a more experienced leader at the heart of his backline.
Lacroix pushes for London switch
Lacroix informed Crystal Palace of his desire to seek a fresh challenge at the end of last season, and Chelsea quickly made their interest known in the 26-year-old centre-back. Talks progressed rapidly over the past fortnight, with Lacroix eager to push through a cross-London move. The two clubs have reportedly agreed on a £52 million transfer fee for the France international, who made three appearances at the 2026 World Cup. Lacroix is expected to sign a six-year contract tying him to Stamford Bridge until 2032.
The former Wolfsburg man would follow Geovany Quenda, Marco Palestra and Morgan Rogers through the doors at Chelsea in what has been a productive start to the transfer window for the Blues.
Desailly's mixed verdict
Speaking to football.london on behalf of SportsCasting, ex-Chelsea captain Desailly described his fellow countryman as a 'decent signing' for Alonso's squad. 'I think that Maxence Lacroix would be a decent signing for Chelsea,' Desailly said. 'I don't want to criticise the player, I would just say that yes, it's a good move for the club. Alonso likes to play with three at the back. He wants to implement his ideas and his philosophy with a back three. I think it's a good move for him and a good move for Chelsea. Lacroix is an international player, playing in a magnificent team that Didier Deschamps has assembled. I cannot criticise an international player who has represented France at the World Cup.'
But while Desailly stopped short of criticising Lacroix, he suggested Chelsea ideally needed a more established centre-back to 'lead the defence'. 'Is he what Chelsea really needs?' he asked. 'I actually think they need a centre-back with more experience, a player that is already established and can come in and lead the defence. We need a real experienced leader at the heart of the defence. Don't ask me for a name; it is Alonso and the club's job to find the correct player that matches his philosophy. It's a good move for Lacroix, but I really want to see them target a player who has played at an elite level for a similar-sized club as Chelsea, with similar pressures, not a player from a smaller club than Chelsea.'
Morris also has doubts
Desailly is not alone in having reservations. Former Chelsea midfielder Jody Morris also revealed his doubts this week. 'I thought Lacroix did great for Crystal Palace last year in a back three, but playing for Palace and Chelsea are two different things,' Morris told BOYLE Sports. 'I didn't think he played well for France. I was telling my friends that I would be interested to see how he does in a back four, because I've only ever seen him in a three. He had a very poor game against Spain and I didn't think he was great against England either, where they conceded six goals. He could suit the team, but I'm intrigued to see how Alonso sets us up. I hope he doesn't perform like that all the time if we are going for him.'
