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New York Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Crystal Palace Transfer DealSheet: Summer window latest, key targets and likely exits
Crystal Palace will enter the summer looking to prepare and build a squad for the Europa League next season and seeking to atone for errors made this year. Manager Oliver Glasner repeatedly referenced the late arrival of players, both returning from international competitions but also transfers, as a factor behind the club's worst start to a Premier League season, before it was turned round into an FA Cup-winning campaign in which they achieved their highest Premier League points total. Advertisement He will look to have additions earlier than last year and Palace will have to improve their strength in depth to account for the extra fixtures. They have several key players who will likely be in demand and decisions will have to made on whether to sell and how much they can realistically expect to command for those talents. Those decisions will heavily influence what happens this summer. This is up in the air after the departure of former sporting director Dougie Freedman in March, with Palace having considered replacements and a possible restructuring of their recruitment department. Chairman Steve Parish will be at the head of decisions, setting the budget and having the final call on the strategy. Freedman's assistant, Ben Stevens, who has been with the club since 2015 — originally as head of performance analysis before stepping up alongside Freedman last July — has stepped in to partly fill the void. Iain Moody, who has worked as a consultant at the club for several years and who worked closely alongside Freedman, albeit more in the negotiation process for new and existing players rather than identifying new talent, will also provide some sense of consistency. Freedman built a team working behind him that remains in place and will continue. Freedman will inevitably be consulted to some extent as well, despite his new role in Saudi Arabia. This depends on outgoings. The initial plan is to sign a goalkeeper as back-up to Dean Henderson. There has been a desperate need to sign another left wing-back to provide cover and competition for Tyrick Mitchell. There is no obvious cover for the 25-year-old. Should Marc Guehi, who has only a year left on his contract, leave this summer, Palace will look to sign two centre-backs. Chadi Riad, originally seen as a possible successor, should return in the early part of the season from rupturing his ACL. Advertisement Regardless of whether Eberechi Eze is sold, they will look to bring in another No 10, with Matheus Franca having struggled to make an impact and Romain Esse inexperienced. They could add a second No 10 if a club meets Eze's release clause, but they will also target a centre-midfielder. Cheick Doucoure is expected to be available for pre-season after his meniscus injury, and adding another midfielder would provide Palace with cover and depth. There is hope Jean-Philippe Mateta will stay, given he has two years remaining on his contract, but if he does depart another striker would be a necessity, with only Eddie Nketiah available. Glasner's preference is for players who can come in and make an impact quickly, or adapt with relative ease over a short period of time. He pushed last summer for the signings of Maxence Lacroix and Daichi Kamada, both of whom he had worked with at Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt, respectively. Glasner wants a squad that is quick to acclimatise to each other and to the hefty physical demands of his system. That does not automatically discount young players, and he is not against promoting youth — Justin Devenny's progress this season is testament to that, even if he was a player bought from Scottish side Airdrieonians — but his priority is for more experienced players. Palace are primarily looking for younger players who have the potential to improve but already have some experience. Southampton midfielder Mateus Fernandes would fit that profile, having been linked with Palace. The Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos has also been mentioned and, at 21 with almost 100 professional appearances, would suit Palace. But that would be a difficult deal to do with Chelsea keen to keep him having impressed on loan with Strasbourg. They are targeting centre-backs in Italy and Spain, while they have built excellent contacts in France. Odsonne Edouard has failed to make any impact on loan with Leicester City and is not seen as a player who can make a significant contribution. He will move on if they can find a suitor who is prepared to meet the striker's wage demands. He has only a year remaining so would not command a high fee. The 23-year-old midfielder Naouirou Ahamada is not in the club's long-term plans. A rare tick in the miss column for Freedman, Ahamada was loaned to Ligue 1 side Rennes and played only six times. Advertisement Forward Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, 22, scored seven times across 37 appearances on loan with Sheffield United this season, but is not viewed by Glasner as a player who could be a core part of his squad. They originally sought a fee around the £20million that Ipswich Town paid Chelsea for Omari Hutchinson, but that seems a stretch. They could sell Guehi if he continues to show no inclination to sign a new deal. Given the rigours of seven extra games next season, it seems unlikely anyone will be loaned out. Devenny might have been a possibility, but he has done well enough to be kept as part of the first-team squad. Palace might have looked to loan out Franca to ensure sufficient minutes, but he too may now be required in the first team given their extended campaign. Some of the Under-21 side will be loaned out. Hindolo Mustapha has interest, as does Asher Agbinone, who spent time with Gillingham this season. There have been conversations with clubs and the background work has been ongoing for months, but nothing is imminent. It is likely the bulk of their transfer activity will come in the middle to end part of the main transfer window. Parish, however, told reporters after the FA Cup semi-final win over Aston Villa that they would try to 'have a better pre-season (and) not make some of the mistakes we made again'. While he did not explicitly reference the four deadline day arrivals as a mistake, it is a reasonable deduction to make given how much it affected their preparations. Palace have no concerns over their PSR position and their budget will be sufficient to strengthen. If they can offload fringe players, it will be boosted further, while if any of their key players leave it will be for a hefty fee, allowing them to reinvest that money. (Top photos: Getty Images)
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
🎥 OTD 2012: Zaha and Phillips star to send Palace to the Premier League
Crystal Palace have been a staple of the Premier League for the past 12 seasons, producing incredible consistency to finish between 15th and 10th in each campaign. Before that, the Eagles endured an eight-year hiatus from the English top-flight and even fended off administration and a near miss with relegation to League One in 2009/10. However, the South London club enjoyed an incredible run in the 2011/12 campaign, started by former player turned manager Dougie Freedman and finished off by Ian Holloway, who led Palace to the play-offs. After a memorable 2-0 win over rivals Brighton in the semi-final, Palace edged Watford in the final and a young Wilfried Zaha and a veteran journeyman in Kevin Phillips contributed with the decisive moments. Talking of Wembley this day in 2013, we returned to the @premierleague ❤️💙#CPFC — Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) May 27, 2025 Palace have returned to Wembley five times since that play-off final win and produced one of the club's most famous victories in history this season, defeating Manchester City in the FA Cup final. 📸 IAN KINGTON - 2013 AFP
Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
What a day, the contrast with our 1990 FA Cup final defeat couldn't have been greater, writes Crystal Palace hero Geoff Thomas
There were many Crystal Palace fans in tears at Wembley on Saturday. At the final whistle, people were hugging whoever was around them, whether they knew them or not! Oliver Glasner 's heroes won the FA Cup not just for themselves, but for everyone associated with the club for 120 years. We have come so close before, not least the team I led that were seven minutes away from glory in the final against Manchester United 35 years ago. I must admit waking up on Sunday morning with a renewed tinge of sadness that we had not got over the line, but at least we can now say we were part of a journey that has finally seen Palace lift the silverware they deserve. I feel extremely privileged to have been there to witness it. Chairman Steve Parish made sure I had a place in a box behind the goal at Wembley and also invited my wife, so we could enjoy the occasion together. It was a class act from someone who must have had a lot of arranging to do. It was amazing to be interviewed on the pitch before the game in front of Palace fans, the best in the country. From the moment I arrived at Selhurst Park as a 19-year-old from Crewe, I've regarded it as home. I stayed six years and they were the best times of my career. People assumed I was a south Londoner until I opened my mouth and they heard I was a Mancunian! Palace have a great team worthy of their supporters. Everyone deserves credit, the chairman, sporting director Dougie Freedman and manager Glasner. They have a group of fantastic players. I keep a close eye on midfielder Adam Wharton because he plays in my position. He will eclipse anything I achieved, however — what an amazing talent. When I looked down at the elation on the pitch on Saturday the contrast with 1990, when Mark Hughes took our dreams with his late equaliser, could not have been greater. It has been a long wait for the club to win a trophy. Our team, with Mark Wright and Nigel Martyn in it, broke up because the club could not afford to keep us together. I hope history doesn't repeat itself because this Palace team is capable of winning more.
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Man City will take flak for losing but Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner proves you don't need to spend big to grab glory, writes DANNY MURPHY
Crystal Palace's triumph is a reminder you don't always need the biggest chequebook if you're smart on player and managerial recruitment. Manchester City will take flak for losing at Wembley — their wingers didn't risk the ball enough to feed Erling Haaland — but you can't overstate the work Oliver Glasner has done with Palace. I can't tell you how difficult it is to keep a team that disciplined and focused for 90 minutes. Creative players such as Eberechi Eze want to express themselves. When they put in as much work tracking back and staying in shape as getting on the ball, it's about belief in the coach. Palace were so well-drilled everyone knew their jobs even after captain Marc Guehi went off. A lot of bigger clubs will now be looking at Glasner with envy but let's allow Palace to celebrate before they think about that! As for the Palace players, signed for fractions of what has been spent at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge, it shows you don't need hundreds of millions if you do your research properly in the transfer market. Credit is due to the departing sporting director Dougie Freedman. Palace signed Daniel Munoz for £8.5million, having sold Aaron Wan-Bissaka for £50m. Munoz was immense in defence and attack, the main reason Jeremy Doku struggled to make any sort of impact. Munoz could play in any Premier League side. So could Adam Wharton, who cost £23m and is worth treble that now. Last summer, the Eagles signed Maxence Lacroix for £18m, less than they received from Fulham for Joachim Andersen. Lacroix would be valued at double what Palace paid at least. I could go on because I haven't even mentioned Jean-Philippe Mateta (£15m) or Eze (£17m). It's no coincidence that clubs such as Palace, Brentford, Brighton and Bournemouth have established themselves in the Premier League by finding a winning formula in recruitment. So next time it's suggested by fans or managers that their club need to break transfer records, it's an excuse for not identifying the right players. City didn't play badly — they forced some good saves from Dean Henderson — although the penalty they were awarded and missed wasn't justified. But Haaland will be frustrated by the ball not getting into the penalty area enough. There was a brief period at the start of the second half when Savinho showed intent but that was all. It's hard to criticise City in a sense because their style brought them four league titles in a row but now the wide men aren't at the same level as Riyad Mahrez or Raheem Sterling, the obsession with possession at the expense of risking the ball to feed the strikers looks a frailty. It didn't help either that the full backs, Manuel Akanji and Nico O'Reilly, are either unused to or not proficient at crossing. Imagine if Liverpool's wingers were stifled. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson would be backing up to hit quality balls into the box. The great Manchester United team of the 90s were the same. If Ryan Giggs and David Beckham couldn't get crosses in, they'd tee up Gary Neville and Denis Irwin. City didn't have the same options and Palace's brilliant organisation shut them out. My biggest takeaway is Palace put on a defensive masterclass rather than City badly fluffing their lines. It's great for English football that you can still find bargains and a relatively unknown manager — and lift the FA Cup.
New York Times
13-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Crystal Palace defender Joel Ward to leave club after 13 years
Crystal Palace defender Joel Ward will leave this summer after 13 years, the club have confirmed. The 35-year-old has been a mainstay of the Palace squad since his arrival from Portsmouth for a fee of £400,000 in May 2012, and is the last remaining player from the promotion-winning squad of that season. Advertisement Ward's contract is due to expire at the end of this campaign and he will not be handed an extension. He has made 363 appearances for Palace in all competitions, with 305 of those coming in the Premier League, more than any other player in the club's history, while he is the longest-serving player in the current squad. Brought in from Portsmouth by then-manager Dougie Freedman to replace Nathaniel Clyne at right-back after his departure to Southampton, Ward has played under 10 permanent managers at Selhurst Park. His versatility has seen him operate all across the defensive line and even in centre-midfield, and he was awarded the club's Young Player of the Year award in 2014. A message from Wardy 🥹#CPFC — Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) May 13, 2025 Ward lost his place in the team to Aaron Wan-Bissaka towards the end of the 2017-18 season following injury, and sat out much of the following campaign as Wan-Bissaka established himself as first choice. But he regained his position after Wan-Bissaka was sold to Manchester United in June 2019, making a further 142 appearances until injury and the form of Daniel Munoz limited his minutes in the current campaign, with Ward playing only twice in all competitions. 'Joel has been an incredible ambassador for this football club: open, friendly and professional, but also competitive, driven and uncompromising in the standards he sets,' chairman Steve Parish told the club website. 'Over the course of 13 years' service, Joel has been an example for all Palace players who have gone before him: in his values, in his presence, and in his dedication to representing this club with pride.' Ward said it was a 'see you later,' rather than goodbye, and told the club website it had been 'a huge privilege to wear this shirt (and) to represent this club'. 'I've been a part of this club and a part of the furniture for so long that I'd like to think I'm part of the family.' Ward's most valuable contribution came in the play-off final victory over Watford in 2012, when he cleared off the line deep into extra–time, but his experience has seen him continue to be an integral part of the squad even when his appearances have dwindled. With Clyne out of contract in 2012 and Palace expecting him to move on, Freedman revealed at a fans' forum that summer that he had found a replacement who he believed would be an upgrade on the then highly rated youngster. Advertisement The player was Ward. The pair's profiles were markedly different, with Ward more defensively-minded than Clyne, but he has been a huge success story over an outstanding 13 years at Palace. For the FA Cup semi-final victory over Aston Villa last month, Oliver Glasner revealed he returned Ward to the squad in place of Matheus Franca because of his experience, with Ward also starting Palace's defeat by Manchester United in the 2016 FA Cup final. 'He has the experience of Wembley with Crystal Palace and he is a leader in the dressing room,' Glasner said in his press conference before the Premier League match with Nottingham Forest. 'He deserves to be part of the squad in these games. I left him out of the squad for the two league games before.' Ward's professionalism, consistency and unwavering commitment over such a long period of time has been invaluable for Palace. He deserves to be considered in the conversation for the best value for money the club has made. He was not the most explosive full-back but in an era where defensive solidity was most important, he was the perfect player for Palace. As always happens in football, his time has been and gone, but he will be fondly remembered. ()
