Maxence Lacroix is expected to play what is being described as his last match at Selhurst Park for Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon against Arsenal, even after Didier Deschamps called him into the France squad for the 2026 World Cup. The defender, who is under contract until 2029, has been identified by Crystal Palace as a player they are prepared to let leave.
RMC Sport reported that Lacroix is on the way out of Palace and wants to move to a club qualified for the Champions League, with Premier League sides also said to be monitoring him closely. Their interest is tied to the qualities that have made him stand out this season: speed, the ability to defend high up the pitch and strength in duels.
Crystal Palace would want at least 40 million euros before opening talks, a figure that underlines how far Lacroix’s status has risen in a short time. He has entered a new dimension this season, with his profile lifted further by Palace’s run to the Conference League final and by the attention that has followed across England.
The timing makes the situation more striking. A France call-up usually strengthens a club’s hand, not weakens it, and a player tied down for another four years would normally be expected to stay in place. But Palace’s view has already shifted, and the market around Lacroix appears to have moved with it.
That leaves Sunday afternoon with a strange edge to it. Arsenal may be facing a defender whose future is being discussed as much as the match itself, and Palace may already be preparing for a departure they have decided they can live with. What happens next is whether a club willing to meet the asking price steps forward before the window closes, and whether Lacroix’s final game at Selhurst Park is followed by a move into the Champions League stage he is said to want.
