Crystal Palace and Chelsea are still in discussions over a deal involving Maxence Lacroix.
There has been talk that the fee could be as low as £55m – which would be an outrage considering the France international still has three years remaining on his contract. For example, Brighton recently received £52m from Tottenham for Jan Paul van Hecke, who only had 12 months remaining on his deal.
If we can get £60m for Lacroix, that would still feel low considering Liverpool just spent the same amount on the 20-year-old Jeremy Jacquet, but it would be much more acceptable than £55m.
How much is Maxence Lacroix worth? 🤔
The Frenchman still has three years left on his contract 📝
Adam Wharton is another at Crystal Palace who is fancied by England’s elite sides, but Chelsea have actually just done us a favour when it comes to evaluating the England international after agreeing to pay £117m for Morgan Rogers.
Morgan Rogers and Elliot Anderson deals bode well for Crystal Palace
This summer transfer window has seen some midfielders move for gigantic fees, which should enable Crystal Palace to justify demanding at least £100m for Wharton.
Manchester City have spent £116m on Elliot Anderson, while Tottenham have paid £85m and £100m for Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali respectively.
Now, with Chelsea on the verge of sealing a club-record £117m move for another midfielder in Rogers, Steve Parish is well within his rights to request a nine-figure fee for Wharton should anyone make an approach for the Crystal Palace No.20 this summer.
The Man of the Match in the UEFA Conference League final win over Rayo Vallecano still has three years remaining on his contract at Selhurst Park, like Lacroix, and the Eagles must be mindful of how much Blackburn Rovers are entitled to in the event of a sale.
The Championship side negotiated a 15% cut of the profits from any future sale when agreeing a £22m deal with Crystal Palace in January 2024. So, for example, a £100m move for Wharton would bank Blackburn around £12m.
It is the same percentage we negotiated with Bayern Munich should the German giants sell Michael Olise.
Who is your DREAM signing? ⭐️
Given the magnitude of spending on midfielders seen at Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City this summer, even a price tag of £120m could end up being a justifiable amount for Crystal Palace to demand for Wharton – who is currently nursing an ankle injury.
