Chelsea are close to completing a deal to sign Maxence Lacroix.
The Crystal Palace centre-back is undergoing a medical in London ahead of a move that Standard Sport understands is expected to be finalised on Friday.
Chelsea will pay a fee of £52million to sign the defender, who has been away on international duty this summer competing in the World Cup for France.
Lacroix has long been a target for Chelsea, who are looking to overhaul their centre-back options this summer, but talks accelerated following the conclusion of the World Cup last weekend.
The 26-year-old has been an integral part of Palace’s defence since signing from Wolfsburg in 2024, helping them to lift the FA Cup, Community Shield and Conference League.
While Palace wanted to keep hold of Lacroix, they were also accepting of the fact that he wanted to explore opportunities elsewhere, and so have been scouting potential replacements for some time.
Chelsea defender Axel Disasi was brought up during negotiations for Lacroix and remains an option for the Eagles.
Chelsea would prefer a permanent transfer for Disasi and are seeking a fee of £25m plus add-ons for the 28-year-old.
They are also open to a loan move with a conditional obligation to buy similar to the one negotiated with Aston Villa for Alejandro Garnacho.
Palace have a long list of potential defensive targets, but remain in active negotiations with Augsburg centre-back Chrislain Matsima.
Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell was previously a target for Palace but he now looks set to join Ligue 1 side Rennes.
Lacroix will become Chelsea’s third summer signing so far after the arrivals of Marco Palestra and Morgan Rogers. Striker Emmanuel Emegha and winger Geovany Quenda have also joined the club on pre-contract agreements, leaving Strasbourg and Sporting respectively.
