Firstly it was Adam Wharton, now it is Maxence Lacroix. Spanish giants Real Madrid are actively monitoring a potential summer move for Frenchman Maxence Lacroix after a spell of top performances, according to Defensa Central.
It is not just Adam Wharton who is catching the eye of some of Europe’s leading clubs, with centre back Maxence Lacroix continuing to dominate the headlines.
Lacroix has been a constant in the Crystal Palace defence for the last two seasons since he moved to Selhurst Park from Wolfsburg.
In that time back with Oliver Glasner, the 25-year-old has played a starring role in the FA Cup triumph, the Community Shield victory and in the run in the Conference League this season.
Those performances did not go unnoticed by important people outside of the Premier League, as shown by his recent call-up to the national side.
Lacroix made his debut off the bench in a 2-1 win for Les Bleus over Brazil, before making his full debut the following game against Colombia, getting one over on club colleagues Daniel Munoz and Jefferson Lerma.
And that has seen further interest from a whole host of elite clubs both in and outside of the Premier League.
Now, the latest club to pursue a potential move for Lacroix is Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Roundtable have previously reported that Adam Wharton is on Los Blancos’ radar and as Real look for both a centre back and centre midfielder to bolster their ranks, Palace stars could fill both voids.
According to Real Madrid-based outlet Defensa Central, Lacroix has emerged as a genuine option, after the club’s pursuits of Arsenal’s William Saliba and Liverpool’s soon-to-be out-of-contract Ibrahima Konata appear unlikely to happen.
The article states: “Real Madrid are closely monitoring Lacroix's performance, as he has been outstanding this season.
“They are considering him as a potential centre-back they might try to sign.
“However, acquiring the Frenchman won't be easy due to the competition in the transfer market.
“Liverpool are currently leading the race to sign him.
“But they're not the only ones, as Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Bayern Munich are also keeping a close eye on him.
“This could cause his price to skyrocket next summer.”
Lacroix joined the Eagles for ÂŁ18 million in August 2024.
He signed a five-year contract, which leaves Palace in a position of strength when it comes to attempting to keep their star defender.
After Marc Guehi’s departure to Manchester City for just £20 million in January, Palace will be desperate for that not to happen with anyone else.
It seems there will be substantial interest for Wharton and Lacroix, while Jean-Philippe Mateta is also increasingly likely to leave the club.
Palace will not want either Wharton or Lacroix to depart but should they do so, they will want to recoup significant transfer fees for the pair.