Palace want teenage Brest defender Le Guen

What the report says

BBC Sport reports that Crystal Palace are interested in Brest centre-back Raphael le Guen as the Premier League club assess defensive options. The 19-year-old is being monitored while Maxence Lacroix’s proposed move to Chelsea is said to be progressing, creating a potential need for reinforcements at Selhurst Park.

According to the BBC, Le Guen made his professional debut for Brest during the 2025-26 season, coming on in a 3-1 defeat away to Lens on 29 August 2025. He went on to make six Ligue 1 appearances and started Brest’s final four league matches, a run that included fixtures against Paris St-Germain and Strasbourg.

The report frames Palace’s interest in Le Guen within a recent recruitment pattern. The club previously signed teenage defender Jaydee Canvot from Toulouse, and he became an important part of the back line after captain Marc Guehi left. That context suggests Palace may again look to France for a young centre-back capable of developing into a regular first-team player.

BBC Sport also says Palace are considering Augsburg defender Chrislain Matsima as another possible Lacroix replacement. Matsima, 24, is described as open to joining the south London club, where he would work under fellow Frenchman Pierre Sage, who was appointed Palace head coach earlier in the summer. The interest in both players underlines Palace’s planning for possible changes in central defence.