Crystal Palace have made a move to sign Charlie Cresswell as Chelsea push to bring Maxence Lacroix to Stamford Bridge.
L’Equipe believe Chelsea are likely to get a deal done for the Crystal Palace No.5 this summer, and the France international is keen on the move.
The Standard say talks have now started between the Eagles and Toulouse over a deal for Cresswell as Lacroix looks set to leave Selhurst Park – a development which may excite Jaydee Canvot given his relationship with the former Leeds United man.
How much is Maxence Lacroix worth? 🤔
The Frenchman still has three years left on his contract 📝
Jaydee Canvot boasts an impressive record playing alongside Charlie Cresswell
Some Crystal Palace fans might not know that the Englishman actually played alongside Canvot at Toulouse, before the Eagles signed the France U21 international in a £16m deal last August.
For the French side, Cresswell and Canvot made 19 appearances at the back together, helping Toulouse average 1.63 points per game from those matches.
They lost just six, drawing four and winning nine, including a four-game winning streak before Crystal Palace broke the partnership up.
Sage will also know plenty about Cresswell.
The 23-year-old has been in France since July 2024, meaning he would have been part of Toulouse teams Sage has analysed while in charge of Lyon and RC Lens.
So, while losing Lacroix would undoubtedly be a blow given his effectiveness on the pitch and his status amongst the squad off the field, signing Cresswell as a replacement certainly has its positives.
The Standard are not the only ones reporting that talks have started between Crystal Palace and Toulouse either, with reliable Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri sharing the news as well.
Neither outlet reported a potential fee, but considering Toulouse wanted €30m (£26m) back in the winter transfer window – according to The Athletic – we can consider that a realistic ballpark figure at this moment in time.
