Chelsea are on the verge of completing a deal to bolster their defence with the signing of centre-back Maxence Lacroix from Premier League rivals Crystal Palace.

The Blues have agreed a deal worth up to £52m for the France international, after holding talks with the Eagles, and he has completed a medical at Cobham.

All that remains is for the remaining formalities to be completed before the club can take to their social media pages to announce him as their latest signing for Xabi Alonso.

The 26-year-old star played for France at the World Cup, though, and it remains to be seen when he will link up with his new teammates for pre-season training.

Why Maxence Lacroix is a risky signing for Chelsea

Typically, big-money signings from fellow teams in the Premier League are seen as 'safer' because they already have experience in the league and know what it takes to perform in the intensity and physicality of the division.

Whilst that is true, Lacroix is still a risky signing for the Blues because it remains to be seen how he will handle the pressure of playing for a bigger club with higher stakes, and with more scrutiny from media and supporters over his performances.

As impressive as he was for Palace, helping them to keep 11 clean sheets in the Premier League last season, there are parts of his game that could be exposed on a bigger stage.

At the World Cup, for example, Lacroix lost 54% of his duels and made one error that led to a shot in three matches, and was only trusted to start two of France's games, one of which was the third-place play-off in which his side conceded six goals to England.

He made more errors that led to shots, goals, or penalties (five) than Trevoh Chalobah and Tosin Adarabioyo made combined (three) in the Premier League last term, which shows that he is far from a faultless defender.

Those mistakes at the back could be highlighted more in a Chelsea shirt with more eyes on him and more expectations, which is why this is not the slam-dunk signing that it may seem.

How Chelsea can seal a better signing than Lacroix

Whilst Lacroix may not be a guaranteed success due to his lack of experience playing for a major team in England and his error-prone performances, the club are looking at another centre-back who may be a slam-dunk addition to Alonso's squad.

Journalist Simon Phillips reports that Chelsea are pursuing a deal to sign free agent central defender John Stones in the summer transfer window.

The reporter claims that the Blues have made contact with the England international's representatives to discuss a potential move to Stamford Bridge, after his contract at Manchester City expired at the start of the month.

Phillips adds that the club have offered him a two-year contract and are attempting to convince him to make the move to add more experience to Alonso's backline.

Unlike Lacroix, Stones would arrive at Stamford Bridge as a player who knows what it takes to play under pressure at a huge club, winning six Premier League titles and one Champions League during his time at The Etihad.

The 32-year-old defender offers more than just experience and leadership, though, as he outperformed the French star at the World Cup this summer.

He did not play a single minute of the 6-4 win over France, after starting against Argentina and Norway in the knock-out rounds, whilst Lacroix played the full 90 minutes and conceded six times.

The English colossus, who was hailed as "world-class" by journalist Henry Winter earlier this year, delivered more impressive and more dominant performances on the world stage, whilst he has also been far more reliable as a centre-back throughout his club career.

Since the start of the 2020/21 season, Stones has made three errors that have led to shots, goals, or penalties for the opposition in the Premier League, two fewer than Lacroix made last season alone.

In fact, staggeringly, the veteran defender has not conceded a penalty in the Premier League since he played for Everton in the 2015/16 campaign, over ten years ago, whilst Lacroix gave away two penalties last term.

These statistics suggest that Stones is far more assured and reliable at the heart of the defence than the £52m-rated talent is, as he is far less error-prone, whilst helping his side to win a heap of major trophies in that time.

The free agent star, therefore, would be a better signing than Lacroix for Alonso's defence because of what he has achieved in his career and the quality that he still possesses as a centre-back.