Chelsea have not paid a transfer fee for a player aged 26 or over since the summer of 2022 with the ill-fated acquisitions of Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly. But Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix is a player worth relaxing the policy for.
Source: [Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12040/13557656/maxence-lacroix-to-chelsea-crystal-palace-defender-is-quick-excels-when-one-on-one-and-is-a-leader-now-too)