Aston Villa, Newcastle United and West Ham are keeping close tabs on Maxence Lacroix, who could leave Wolfsburg in the summer.
A recent report from Jeunes Footeux has offered an update on the future of Maxence Lacroix. The VfL Wolfsburg starlet has had an underwhelming campaign, but that has not deterred his suitors from keeping close tabs on his situation. Aston Villa, Newcastle and West Ham are among the clubs interested in Lacroix.
The Frenchman was one of the rising stars in the Bundesliga last season, enjoying a breakthrough spell at Wolfsburg. The centre-back raised many eyebrows with his dogged defensive abilities coupled with his strong physique and aerial qualities. It had led to widespread interest from top clubs like Chelsea last summer.
Wolfsburg, though, managed to keep hold of their defensive talent, largely thanks to their fourth-placed finish that ensured Champions League football. But this time around, Lacroix has failed to reach similar heights and his performances have not been helped by a poor season for Wolfsburg overall.
Die Wolfe have indeed spent the majority of the campaign on the wrong side of the table. They were lucky not to get dragged into a relegation battle and have recently sacked their coach Florian Kohfeldt after ending the season in 12th place.
Wolfsburg are now open to selling Lacroix if a good offer comes across. Aston Villa, for one, will be more than willing to secure the 22-year-old’s services as coach Steven Gerrard looks to add more quality to the squad, having already secured a permanent deal for Barcelona superstar Philippe Coutinho. With Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa not performing consistently, a new face in defence would be a good move.
Newcastle United are another club keeping tabs on Lacroix. The Magpies want to rebuild the central defensive unit, adding more quality and star talent and have been pushing to sign Sven Botman from LOSC Lille. The idea of having Botman and Lacroix at the heart of the backline could appeal to Eddie Howe, although the former Bournemouth manager also has other targets in mind.
West Ham, meanwhile, have already scouted the Bundesliga heavily in their search for a central defender. They were linked with a move for Konstantinos Mavropanos recently, although it appears the Greek international is set to make his loan move to Stuttgart permanent for a paltry fee of £4.5 million. They have now set their sights on Lacroix as a potential target.
Lacroix could be an excellent fit for any of these three Premier League outfits. But after a difficult season, it won’t be surprising to see the Frenchman remain in Wolfsburg and recover, before making the jump to the Premier League.
