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Chelsea have agreed a deal worth £52 million to sign Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Blues were determined to land the French centre-back and have eventually secured an agreement with the Eagles.
Palace were initially looking for £60m for the central defender, but have eventually lowered their price to £52m to facilitate the transfer.
Chelsea have generally played with a four-man backline, but the formation could change under new manager Xabi Alonso.
Alonso likes to play with a three-man central defence, and Lacroix could partner Levi Colwill and possibly Wesley Fofana.
Reece James could also be utilised as the right-sided centre-back if Marco Palestra or Malo Gusto operate as a right wing-back.
The Blues have high ambitions for the new season. The lack of European football could be a good thing for the London giants.
With more training sessions under their belt, they could pose a genuine challenge for the Premier League title next season.
