Chelsea will face Western Sydney Wanderers towards the end of July, in what is so far their only scheduled pre-season fixture ahead of the start of the new campaign.
The Blues will have Xabi Alonso in charge when the Premier League returns midway through August, following the Spaniard’s appointment as manager.
Alonso succeeds Liam Rosenior, who replaced Enzo Maresca in January but lasted just four months before himself being dismissed after an atrocious run of results.
Former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid boss Alonso arrives at Stamford Bridge with an impressive reputation, and the Spaniard will not have to contend with European football in his first season in charge after the London side failed to qualify at the end of last term.
Ahead of their trip to Sydney, though, it is emerging that Chelsea are closing in on the signing of a French defender.
As per Spanish site Fichajes, the Blues are working to finalise a deal for Crystal Palace and France defender, Maxence Lacroix.
Lacroix is a target for Chelsea (Photo: Sipa/Alamy)
According to the report, Chelsea are hoping to sign the centre-back once the World Cup is finished, as the defender is currently representing France in North America and Les Bleus are expected to go deep into the tournament.
It is claimed that the deal will likely be worth around £47 million, in part due to the fact that the Frenchman has three years remaining on his current contract with the Eagles.
Lacroix joined Palace from German side Wolfsburg in 2024 and has since made 98 appearances for the south London side in all competitions.
He has built a reputation as one of the most reliable central defenders in the English top flight over the past 12 months, and it appears that his impressive displays haven’t gone unnoticed.
While Palace are said to be reluctant to lose a player of Lacroix’s importance, the Eagles are likely to allow the defender to leave if their valuation is met.