While Chelsea are in Sydney there is plenty of transfer news rumbling around Stamford Bridge as Xabi Alonso prepares for the Premier League season to kickoff.
£51m ($AUD 98m) defender Maxence Lacroix has officially signed from Crystal Palace, while another target, England veteran John Stones, who was also wanted by Arsenal, has moved from Manchester City to Inter Milan on a free transfer.
Lacroix’s arrival on a six-year deal takes the London club’s summer haul to £250m ($AUD 479m), headlined by Morgan Rogers’ arrival, as the club looks to haul itself back up after finishing 10th last term.
The 26-year-old Frenchman is the oldest player Chelsea have signed for a fee since 2022, a deliberate sign that Alonso feels he needs more experience in his squad, while it is inevitable some of the likes of Trevoh Chalobah, Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi, will be moved on now as Chelsea look to raise funds from sales.
SUPERCOACH EPL: Join the official Football360 league and prove you can beat the experts!
Maxence Lacroix. Photo: Chelsea / X
Lacroix said: “I think it’s the best move for me because it’s the best club in the world.
“I spoke with Malo [Gusto]. I spoke with Trev [Chalobah]. I spoke with Benoit [Badiashile]. It’s easy for people to speak well about this club because it has a lot of big history and I’m really proud to be a part of it now.
“I spoke with the manager on the phone. We spoke about tactics, we spoke about how he sees the game. First of all, I was happy just to speak about football with him, and I saw that we have the same direction and desire for this club.
“When I spoke with the gaffer, when I spoke also with the people I know from the national team who play for Chelsea, like Malo, they told me it was the best club I can go to.
“So already I was saying: “Okay, I don’t need to think too much”. After talking to people I said to myself: “This is the best step forward for me”.”
Meanwhile, it is being reported in the UK press that 35-year-old striker Danny Welbeck has agreed to join Chelsea from Brighton, with the Press Association reporting he will join Chelsea on the next leg of their pre-season tour in Hong Kong on a two-year deal. He has enjoyed a renaissance in his thirties, netting 51 goals and 18 assists in 201 appearances for Brighton. That puts the futures of Liam Delap and Nicholas Jackson firmly in the spotlight.
Fellow veteran Jordan Henderson has officially been released by Brentford, as his mooted move to Chelsea moves closer. According to the Sunderland Echo, Alonso had hoped for his former Bayer Leverkusen star Granit Xhaka, but once that didn’t eventuate, turned to Henderson.
Stones’ move to Inter means England has major stars in the Bundesliga (Harry Kane), LaLiga (Jude Bellingham, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Anthony Gordon) and now Serie A.
He had been linked with a move to London once his City contract expired, but has chosen Italy instead.
“I’m someone who is very hungry to win again,” he told Inter’s website. “I’ve been very, very lucky and fortunate to have won so many things in the past. I want to bring that experience here and help the team, help the club and keep learning and growing as a player.
He’s finally home.
It’s time to welcome our newest Interista 🖤💙
👉https://t.co/ZoQtHV0MuU pic.twitter.com/DpMQolwtXt
— Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter_en) July 30, 2026
Lacroix is the 19th most expensive defender in the SuperCoach EPL, but his valuation was done based on his season at Crystal Palace.
At £8, 490, 000, he was the 14th highest performing defender in last season’s game, averaging 7.9 points per outing for a total of 275 points. For context, his ranking was higher than William Saliba, Micky van de Ven, Reece James and Diogo Dalot, to name a few just behind him, while comparable with Nico O’Reilly from Manchester City, Pedro Porro from Spurs and Jurrien Timber from Arsenal.
Only seven defenders scored more than 300 points last season, and they’re all more expensive than the Frenchman, whose move to a new and improved Chelsea could make him an interesting catch. So far, he’s under the radar, only in 1 per cent of SuperCoach EPL sides this coming season.
Meanwhile, Welbeck could also be a steal, another over indexing last year finishing 23rd but being the 35th most expensive option in the game. The only risk with the England veteran is he goes from a more regular starter to playing second fiddle to Joao Pedro, but his move to Stamford Bridge probably places him immediately as second choice striker, so he could be a difference maker brought off the bench when goals are needed.
At £6, 200, 000, you’re getting a player who bagged 213 points last term but is cheaper than most of the other strikers at the big clubs.
Henderson is probably less of a player to rush for, likely brought in to add experience and depth to Chelsea’s ranks but it is hard to see him as an automatic or early starter.
More tips
We’re all-in on Australia’s leading fantasy football game
All-too-early cheapies to balance your fantasy football squad
Chelsea’s ins and outs so far
In
Maxence Lacroix – Crystal Palace, £51m
Morgan Rogers – Aston Villa, £117m
Geovany Quenda – Sporting, £43.5m
Marco Palestra- Atalanta, £43m
Denner – Corinthians, £8.7m
Dastan Satpaev – Kairat Almaty, £2.1m
Emmanuel Emegha – Strasbourg, undisclosed
Out
Marc Cucurella – Real Madrid, £51.8m
Andrey Santos – Man Utd, £50m
Tyrique George – Everton, £24m
Jimmy-Jay Morgan – West Brom, £4m
Have you signed up for SuperCoach EPL? Select your team now!