Chelsea in pursuit of Crystal Palace's Maxence Lacroix amid Trevoh Chalobah interest
Chelsea are aiming to rebuild their defensive line under new manager Xabi Alonso, with the club poised to step up their pursuit of Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix.
The Blues want to add at least one central defender to their squad - amid interest in Trevoh Chalobah from Serie A club Como - and Lacroix is emerging as a key target.
Chelsea have already sold Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid this summer for £51.8m, and are set to complete the signing of Atalanta defender Marco Palestra for a fee in excess of £43m.
Chelsea's next priority is at centre-back and Palace are braced for an offer from their London rivals for France international Lacroix, who is away on international duty at the World Cup.
He has three years left on his contract, is a key player for the Eagles and has been central to the club's FA Cup and Europa Conference League triumphs.
Palace are keen to offer Lacroix a new contract but it is unclear whether the 26-year-old is ready to engage in talks.
Another option considered by Chelsea is Como centre-back Jacobo Ramon, 21.
Further complicating matters is Como's interest in Chalobah, as they look to bolster their defence rather than weaken it, with the England international open to a move to Italy.
Ramon is also still linked to former club Real Madrid through various clauses, while the Spanish side have made Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, valued by the Blues at £120m, one of their key targets this summer. Fernandez is known to be keen on the move.
It is all part of a major summer of player sales, defensive departures and improvements for Chelsea before the official arrival of Alonso.
Palestra, who can play on both sides, is set to be first in the door. Fellow full-back Malo Gusto is considering his future at Chelsea, with the club putting a £75m price tag on the Frenchman. He is attracting interest from Manchester City.