Chelsea are set to sign Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace, and the numbers suggest he would be an ideal addition for Xabi Alonso's side.

Having struggled with defensive consistency last season, partly due to the long-term absence of their star defender Levi Colwill, many expected Chelsea to be in the market for a new centre-back.

This became even more obvious given their attempt to sign Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes in January, who eventually decided to join Liverpool this summer.

Lacroix, however, has been one of Chelsea’s primary targets and he has undergone his medical to finalise his £52 million switch to Stamford Bridge.

The France international is undoubtedly one of the Premier League’s outstanding performers last season, and his numbers at Crystal Palace show that.

His signing would also suggest a shift in Chelsea’s transfer policy.

In the past few seasons, Chelsea have mostly spent on younger talents, banking on their talents, rather than buying finished products.

At 26, Lacroix would be the club’s first signing over the age of 25 since Tosin Adarabioyo and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the summer of 2024, who signed at 26 and 25, respectively.

This is a welcome change for fans, of course, many of whom have criticised the lack of experience in the team in the last couple of seasons.

Lacroix offers a lot more than just experience, though.

If one word is to describe Lacroix’s defensive style, it would be aggressive.

He does not shy away from duels with his attacker and is an asset to his team in the press with his pace.

Impressively, he also wins most of his duels despite how willing he is to contest for the ball, which often leads to winning possession.

In the past two seasons, he is the only Premier League player with more than 50 one-on-one situations to have won the ball more often than not.

This could certainly prove useful if Alonso plans to play a possession-based, high defensive line.

He is quick, having recorded the fifth-highest top speed (35.81 km/h) in the league among centre-backs in the last two seasons.

The former Wolfsburg defender is also unsurprisingly good at aerial duels, standing at 6’4” tall.

Lacroix’s eagerness to win the ball can sometimes backfire, but this is where the much calmer Colwill comes in.

Colwill stands out as a defender for his incredible ability on the ball, and being one of the few left-footed ball-playing centre-backs helps, too.

The Chelsea academy graduate likes to attempt interceptions as well, but unlike Lacroix, he does not fly into tackles, preferring to angle his approach and read the attack.

If Chelsea deploy these two as their primary centre-back pairing, their play style would be quite complementary to each other.