Maxence Lacroix is the name readers kept circling as Chelsea weighed up centre-back options this summer. Stevie backed the Crystal Palace defender as the best option now, and did so while arguing Chelsea need two or three players with experience and a little more age.
Stevie backs Crystal Palace defender
“Would have liked to go for either of the two Tottenham have signed, probably the best option now would be Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace. We need two or three players with experience and to be a little bit older just for the moments when we struggle. We concede and then look like conceding again.”
That was Stevie’s view in response to ’s question on who Chelsea should look to sign at centre-back this summer. His point was not just about one defender. It was about the kind of profile Chelsea should chase if the aim is to steady a back line that, in his view, needs more control after setbacks.
Bob pushes back hard
Bob went the other way. “Wesley Fofana needs to be sold - he's a liability. Lacroix and Murillo aren't good enough for Chelsea. We should buy Ousmane Diomande from Sporting to partner Levi Colwill.”
That gives the discussion its edge. Lacroix was not the only name raised, but he was one of the clearest dividing lines in the debate: Stevie and Osman were open to him, while Bob rejected him along with Murillo. The same thread also shifted the conversation toward whether Chelsea need a veteran-style signing or a younger pairing built around Levi Colwill.
Osman sees a Saliba type
Osman added a different lens. “It wouldn't be bad at all if Chelsea do get Lacroix from Crystal Palace. He's a William Saliba of Arsenal type.”
Steve took the same broader route and said he would look to bring in Harry Maguire because of his experience. James backed Lewis Dunk, calling him “a proven, experienced, English centre-half and leader.” Those comments reinforce the same theme running through the responses: Chelsea’s centre-back discussion is as much about experience as it is about names.
For now, this is reader opinion rather than a transfer move. The practical takeaway is simple: Chelsea’s summer centre-back conversation has already settled on a clear split between experience-first options and younger choices, with Lacroix firmly in the mix and not short of support.
