Chelsea’s nightmare season concluded with a 2-1 defeat at Sunderland, leaving incoming manager Xabi Alonso with a tenth-place finish and no European football next year.
This lack of continental competition has dealt a severe blow to their summer recruitment plans, specifically their pursuit of Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix.
The 26-year-old center-back is expected to leave Selhurst Park this summer for a fee exceeding £34.5m.
While Chelsea had earmarked him as their top defensive target, Lacroix has reportedly made it clear that he will only join a club competing in the Champions League.
This opens the door for newly crowned champions Arsenal, Manchester United, or Aston Villa to swoop in for the highly-rated Frenchman.
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