Crystal Palace and Chelsea have held a new round of talks about Maxence Lacroix, although fans of the Eagles will be livid to hear what was allegedly said.
Simon Phillips – a respected journalist and reliable Chelsea insider – is now claiming that Crystal Palace have requested £60m from the west Londoners in exchange for the France international.
If this update on Lacroix is actually true, then it is inexcusable from the UEFA Conference League winners.
Who is your DREAM signing? ⭐️
Why would Crystal Palace demand only £60m for Maxence Lacroix?
Look at it this way. A 19-year-old with no experience of Premier League football whatsoever just moved to Brighton for a sum of £46m in Luka Vuskovic.
So, why would Crystal Palace think a France international with 70 Premier League appearances under his belt – along with FA Cup, Community Shield and UEFA Conference League medals – is only worth £14m more?
Vuskovic is not the only example we feel compelled to compare this situation to.
Brighton just sold Jan Paul van Hecke to Tottenham for £52m, a player who only had 12 months left on his deal and is the same age as Lacroix at 26 – but lacks his pedigree having failed to win anything with the Seagulls.
The Frenchman is unquestionably worth more than £60m when you consider the Dutchman cost £52m.
Furthermore, Liverpool just spent £60m to sign a 20-year-old defender by the name of Jeremy Jacquet, so why would those involved in recruitment at Crystal Palace feel one of their best players is worth the same?
Not only that, but Lacroix still has three years remaining on his contract and is a pivotal figure at Selhurst Park – someone who has become a real leader since his £18m move from VfL Wolfsburg in August 2024 – so he should command a fee of at least £70m given the circumstances.
Of course, if the former Sochaux defender begins to kick up a fuss at Crystal Palace and agitates for the move to Chelsea – like Walter Benitez is allegedly doing for OGC Nice – then it becomes a different situation where the Eagles may have to take a lesser fee.
How much is Maxence Lacroix worth? 🤔
The Frenchman still has three years left on his contract 📝
However, with talks between Crystal Palace and Chelsea currently at quite an early stage, there is absolutely no reason why we should be setting the bar as low as £60m right now.
