Suggestions that Crystal Palace are on the verge of signing a new defender will obviously raise concerns about the future of a certain Marc Guehi.
Newcastle United are refusing to give up on their number one defensive target.
And while HITC understands that Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish is now demanding £75 million, The Eagles fans could still be in for a nervy final 24 hours of the transfer window.
So what does the likely arrival of Maxence Lacroix mean from a Marc Guehi perspective? Well, probably not much.
Lacroix is a right-sided centre-half, after all, while Guehi has made his name on the left. As such, the towering Frenchman is much more likely to be viewed not as a successor for Guehi but as a replacement for Joachim Andersen following his £30 million return to Fulham.
Crystal Palace to sign Wolfsburg’s Maxence Lacroix
Lacroix is out of contract next summer.
As such, Crystal Palace have been able to agree a potential bargain fee of £15 million up front, rising to £18 million with add ons according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.
Speaking during his press conference on Thursday afternoon, Wolfsburg boss Ralph Hasenhuttl confirmed that Lacroix has already left the Volkswagen Arena as he prepares to undergo a medical and put pen to paper on a long-term contract in South London.
“(Lacroix) is currently not in Wolfsburg but already on the road for talks,” the former Southampton and RB Leipzig coach says, broadcast on the Bundesliga club’s official YouTube channel.
“I can’t say anything else about it because I don’t know anything more about it. We are waiting until everything is more or less finalised.”
Lacroix, a 6ft 3ins former France Under 20 international, will be the second Oliver Glasner favourite to join Crystal Palace this summer.
The Eagles have already snapped up Daichi Kamara on a free transfer from Lazio. The silky Japan playmaker was a key part of the Eintracht Frankfurt side which claimed the Europa League under Glasner back in 2022.
Palace have also been linked with Tiago Araujo but Benfica are keen to keep him.
Oliver Glasner to be reunited with another Bundesliga favourite
Lacroix, meanwhile, moved to Germany from Strasbourg a year earlier when Wolfsburg were under the Austrian’s control.
Joachim Andersen’s likely successor has now played 130 games – scoring seven goals – for the club who also helped hone the talents of Kevin de Bruyne prior to his move to Manchester City.
While Andersen has followed Michael Olise out the door – and while speculation also continues to swirl around Guehi – Glasner confirms that benchwarming duo Sam Johnstone and Naouirou Ahamada are also keen to leave before the window closes on Friday at 11pm.
Johnston is wanted by Wolves, while Ahamada has been pushed further down the pecking order by Kamada’s arrival.
“Ahamada has been here now for more than two years and he didn’t have as many minutes as he needs for his age,” Glasner told London News Online after the 4-0 Carabao Cup drubbing of Norwich City.
“We spoke together and he thinks it will be good for him to get more minutes. It’s very difficult with all the competition for his position to get minutes here.
“Maybe there is another option for him. This is what he is looking for. This is what may or may not happen.
“Sam told us he wants to leave. If he finds a club, he can leave.”
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