--- title: "Aston Villa join £50m race for Crystal Palace star" canonical: "https://readastonvilla.com/2026/05/19/aston-villa-join-50m-race-crystal-palace-maxence-lacroix/" type: "post" language: "en-GB" author: "Andrea Locorotondo" section: "Aston Villa Transfer News" published: "2026-05-19T13:30:00Z" modified: "2026-05-19T13:30:00Z" --- # Aston Villa join £50m race for Crystal Palace star **Aston Villa have entered the race to sign Crystal Palace centre-back Maxence Lacroix, but Crystal Palace are determined to keep him with a new contract offer already being prepared.** - Reports suggest Villa have stormed into the race for the French centre-back alongside Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea - Palace are preparing a new contract offer to ward off interest from multiple English and European clubs - Lacroix made 34 Premier League appearances this season, one of Glasner’s most important players ## Villa enter the race – Champions League appeal grows The confirmation of [Champions League football for next season](https://readastonvilla.com/2026/05/15/emery-600th-win-champions-league-confirmed-villa-liverpool-2026/) has immediately enhanced Villa’s ability to compete for elite defensive talent. According to [TEAMtalk](https://www.footballfancast.com/aston-villa-now-keen-maxence-lacroix-transfer-crystal-palace/), Emery’s recruitment team have identified Maxence Lacroix as a summer target, entering what is already a highly competitive pursuit for a centre-back who has established himself as one of the Premier League’s most consistent defensive performers this season. Lacroix made 34 Premier League appearances for Crystal Palace in 2025-26: a figure that underlines both his importance to Glasner’s system and his physical durability across a demanding top-flight campaign. His performances have drawn praise from his Austrian manager described as an “incredible” player by those within the Palace organisation, and attracted the attention of some of the division’s most ambitious clubs simultaneously. > Jean-Philippe Mateta and Maxence Lacroix have both been named in France World Cup squad 😍🇫🇷 [pic.twitter.com/dhi4UQ3wEG](https://t.co/dhi4UQ3wEG) > > — Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) [May 14, 2026](https://twitter.com/CPFC/status/2054997200736837917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, and Chelsea are all understood to be keen alongside Villa, with several European clubs also monitoring the Frenchman’s situation. That breadth of interest confirms the scale of Lacroix’s appeal and the competitive nature of any potential transfer pursuit. ## Palace fight back – New contract offer in preparation Crystal Palace have no intention of allowing Lacroix to leave without a significant fight. The Eagles are preparing a new contract offer specifically designed to ward off the growing interest, a clear indication that Glasner views the French defender as central to his plans for next season. That determination is entirely understandable. [Lacroix](https://readcrystalpalace.com/2026/05/17/a-nightmare-unfolds-as-crystal-palace-stars-injured-vs-brentford-football-news/)has been one of Palace’s most reliable performers throughout a campaign that has also seen them reach the Conference League final and replacing a centre-back of his quality and Premier League experience at short notice would be extremely challenging. The new contract offer complicates Villa’s pursuit considerably. A player happy at his current club, offered improved terms, and with the security of continued first-team football has limited incentive to move, unless the sporting project and financial package on offer from a suitor significantly exceeds what Palace can provide. Champions League football, Emery’s management, and Villa Park’s growing stature in European football represent Villa’s most compelling arguments in that conversation. ## The defensive context – Why Villa are looking Villa’s current defensive options are considerable: Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Victor Lindelöf, and Tyrone Mings providing four established centre-backs across the squad. However, the specific demands of Champions League football alongside a Premier League campaign create genuine depth requirements that go beyond a four-man rotation. Lindelöf’s age (30) and Mings’ increasingly limited role raise natural succession questions. Torres is contracted until 2028 and Konsa has been outstanding throughout the season. But adding a proven Premier League centre-back of Lacroix’s quality would provide the kind of genuine competition and cover that elite European campaigns demand across a congested fixture list. Furthermore, the [Lindelöf midfield experiment](https://readastonvilla.com/2026/05/10/aston-villa-confirmed-xi-vs-burnley-emery-makes-three-changes-as-lindelof-keeps-his-place-in-midfield/), however brilliantly executed against Forest, underlines the creative solutions Emery has been forced to find in the absence of specialist defensive midfielders. A physically dominant and technically reliable centre-back who can also play out from the back would serve the squad’s needs on multiple levels. ## The competition – Villa must move decisively Five Premier League clubs pursuing the same target simultaneously creates a transfer dynamic that favours speed and conviction over prolonged negotiation. Palace’s new contract offer adds a further time pressure: every week the defender remains unsigned increases the likelihood of him committing to the Eagles for another season. ![](https://media.readastonvilla.com/readastonvilla/2026/05/lacr-vs-konsa.png) ***Lacroix vs Konsa. Premier League 2025/26. Source: DataMB*** Villa’s Champions League confirmation, combined with an [Europa League final on Wednesday](https://readastonvilla.com/2026/05/18/tielemans-europa-league-final-villa-transfer-stay-2026/) provides the strongest possible platform for recruitment conversations. The summer window demands decisive action. ## *ReadAstonVilla Verdict* Lacroix is an excellent target, proven at Premier League level, still only 25, and the kind of reliable defensive presence Champions League football demands. However, with Palace fighting hard to keep him and four other Premier League clubs in the race, this will require Villa to move quickly and offer a compelling package that Palace simply cannot match. The Champions League card is Villa’s strongest hand. Play it decisively.