Football
Crystal Palace Agree Deal For Maxence Lacroix, Eagles Also Expected to Swoop For Tomas Araujo Once More
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Get to know Charlie Rhodes betterPublished29 Aug 2024
Crystal Palace transfer news is seemingly moving up a gear in the final days of the summer window. With the forward line sufficiently bolstered, attention is turning to defensive recruits.
Crystal Palace Transfer News
Crystal Palace’s overriding desire will be to hold on to club captain Marc Guehi in the final days of the window. A slew of attacking departures have been remedied by Eddie Nketiah’s arrival, but they will be eager to limit any more of their star names from leaving.
Newcastle remain persistent in their attempts to lure the England centre-back, but Palace chairman Steve Parish is a notoriously tough negotiator and it appears likely Guehi will remain put.
In the eventuality that he does indeed exit the club, Palace have several contingency plans in the pipeline.
The first of which being highly-coveted Wolfsburg centre-back Maxence Lacroix, with whom they have agreed a fee. The Frenchman arrived with a reputation for being one of Europe’s quickest defenders, and his ball-playing skillset should suit Oliver Glasner’s progressive approach.
🔵🔴🦅 Maxence Lacroix to Crystal Palace, story confirmed and here we go!
All documents are approved by #CPFC and Wolfsburg, fee around £18m.
He’s always been the #1 target for Glasner to replace Andersen.
Medical in London in the next 24h. pic.twitter.com/ypzltL9wSd
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 29, 2024
The Eagles are also expected to return with a fresh proposal for Benfica’s Tomas Araujo. The 22-year-old has been on wishlists of some Europe’s elite this summer – including Chelsea‘s.
Benfica rejected Palace’s opening bid earlier in the window, but wide-spread reports believe they will return to test the waters once more.
Will Marc Guehi Leave For Newcastle?
The closer we get to the end of the window, the more unlikely a mega-money move for Marc Guehi appears to be.
Newcastle have already been rebuffed on several occasions this month, with Crystal Palace holding firm on their £70m valuation.
A prospective move hinges on the Magpies forking out a fee worthy of Steve Parish’s bullish price tag.
The addition of Lacroix is a welcomed one following the surprise departure of Joachim Andersen to Fulham. Letting both of their centre-backs leave in one window appears unlikely, but they may be swayed by a lucrative bid in the coming days.
21-year-old Chadi Riad has already been added to the backline, and he could well be followed by Araujo should they decide to register another bid. Whatever happens in the final days of the window, the club are pushing hard to safeguard their future at the back.