Photo: Bryan Berlin / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Chelsea have completed the signing of French international defender Maxence Lacroix, 26, from fellow Premier League club Crystal Palace. The move adds an experienced centre-back to the Blues' squad ahead of the new season.
Lacroix did not begin his playing career as a defender. He originally played as a goalkeeper, following his father's example, before switching to striker, and only settled into the centre-back role at Under-17 level during his time with French club Sochaux.
His roots lie far from any football academy. Lacroix grew up in Ajat, a farming village in the Dordogne region with a population of just over 300, and began his organised football with local sides Thenon and Limeyrat Les Croquants before progressing through the pyramid.
As a child, Lacroix's ambition was not to become a professional footballer. Surrounded by nature in rural France, he wanted to work with animals and become a veterinarian.
His community has since recognised his rise. A new multi-purpose sports field in Thenon, where he first played organised football, was named the Stade Maxence Lacroix when it opened in 2022.
Fellow French international Josuha Guilavogui played a significant role in Lacroix's move to England. The former Wolfsburg captain encouraged Lacroix to learn English while the two played together in Germany. When both moved to England in 2024 — Guilavogui to Leeds United, Lacroix to Crystal Palace — Guilavogui helped Lacroix settle.
At Crystal Palace, Lacroix took on an informal leadership role off the pitch, introducing and leading prayer sessions and bible readings for teammates before matches.
Lacroix travelled with the France squad to this summer's FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States. He packed a bible, a Rubik's cube, and a chess set — the latter two items included at his wife's insistence.
His wait for a senior France call-up was a long one. Almost a decade after his first appearance at youth level, and seven years after his last Under-20 cap, Lacroix received his first senior call-up from Didier Deschamps in March 2026. He made his debut in a win over Brazil and earned his first start days later as France beat Colombia.