Arsenal to surely hijack Chelsea's Maxence Lacroix move as star admits 'I can't take anymore'

Mikel Arteta may have no choice but to upset Arsenal's most bitter of rivals during the summer transfer window.

A battle appears to be emerging for Maxence Lacroix of Crystal Palace, a club that has already lost Oliver Glasner and Marc Guehi in recent months.

The Gunners, understandably, are not the only Premier League giant eyeing up the France international, with his future growing more incertain with each passing week.

Mick Brown has already told Football Insider that the Eagles are likely to accept £60million for the 26-year-old, and Arsenal have more than enough cash to splash.

While Arteta's squad is already stacked to the rafters with defensive talent, injuries have not been kind to the North London outfit in recent campaigns.

William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White and Piero Hincapie all missed portions of the 2025-26 season.

William Saliba to miss start of 2026-27 campaign

Now, even before the 2026-27 campaign has kicked off, Arteta is facing yet more frustration on the treatment table, potentially being without one of his biggest stars.

After France were knocked out of the 2026 World Cup by Spain, Saliba admitted that he "can't take it anymore," suffering from a huge back injury.

With the player likely requiring surgery, the talented centre-half could be sidelined for months, rather than weeks, which could completely change Arsenal's summer plans.

Interest in Lacroix could be accelerated immediately, already providing new Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso with an obstacle to overcome this summer.

For weeks, the Blues appeared to be in a one-horse race for the defender's signature, but can no longer be the case if the Gunners are to strengthen ahead of the new season.

Maxence Lacroix's injury record examined

Given Arsenal's horrendous injury luck over the last two seasons, it will be imperative that they can bring in someone dependable.

Lacroix certainly looks to be that player. Since signing for Palace in the summer of 2024, the Frenchman hasn't missed a single game through injury.

During his time at Wolfsburg, he missed a total of six games, one of which was due to Covid, while four were due to a shoulder problem.

Injuries will be the last thing on Lacroix's mind, and with Saliba likely sidelined for months now, he could be the perfect replacement this summer.