Chalobah Given Green Light to Exit as Chelsea Eye £50m Swoop for Lacroix

Trevoh Chalobah's time at Stamford Bridge appears to be drawing to a close, with Chelsea having given the defender permission to seek a move away this summer amid keen interest from Italian clubs.

The 26-year-old centre-back, who racked up 151 appearances for the Blues and started 31 of their 38 Premier League fixtures last term, has attracted attention from Serie A outfits including Como and Inter. Despite earlier reports suggesting Chelsea would resist approaches for the £35m-rated defender, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Chalobah will be permitted to leave the club.

Como have already submitted an initial bid for the English defender, though Inter have also weighed up a move among their centre-back targets. The development will rob Chalobah of the chance to work under incoming manager Xabi Alonso, someone he had expressed genuine enthusiasm about learning from.

When quizzed on Alonso's appointment earlier this week, Chalobah outlined his excitement at the prospect. "Most definitely," he responded when asked if the Spaniard's pedigree would help players embrace his methods. "He's a manager like that, an ex-player as well, coming in and automatically you can just feel the presence, knowing what he is going to demand, and we are all excited to work with him."

Chalobah earned a late call-up to the England squad this summer as cover for the injured Tino Livramento.

Lacroix in Chelsea's Sights

Chelsea's willingness to move Chalobah on comes as they intensify efforts to land Crystal Palace and France international Maxence Lacroix. The Telegraph identifies the 26-year-old as a key target for the Blues, with journalist Alan Nixon reporting that Chelsea are primed to table a £50m offer for his services.

The west Londoners have already been busy in the transfer market, offloading Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid for £52m, with midfielder Enzo Fernandez also potentially heading to the Bernabeu. Meanwhile, Alonso has already secured his first signing of the summer.

Marco Palestra has agreed to join Chelsea from Atalanta in a deal worth over €55m plus a sell-on clause, with the talented right wing-back penning a long-term contract. Romano revealed that Alonso held direct talks with Palestra to explain his tactical philosophy and where the Italian would fit into his system. Gazzetta dello Sport suggests the conversation proved decisive in Chelsea winning the race ahead of Inter, who had also been tracking the prospect.