CRYSTAL PALANCE
EXLUSSIVE: Good move, Crystal Palace In Tense Talk To Bring Another Star Worth £25m
Crystal Palace were in talks to sign Antonio Nusa from Club Brugge earlier this summer – although the situation has seemingly gone quiet.
Dougie Freedman started negotiations with the Belgian giants over a deal for the Norway international towards the end of June – and was told to pay £25m for his signature, according to Sacha Tavolieri.
However, almost a month has passed with no developments on this saga, until now.
So, what is the latest on Crystal Palace and Antonio Nusa? Let’s take a look…
Why Crystal Palace are yet to proceed with Antonio Nusa deal
A story from The Sun (print version, Sunday 20th July, page 57) now claims that Crystal Palace are worried about the Norwegian’s injury record.
Nusa actually came close to joining Brentford in a £30m deal last January, before the Bees cancelled the move after he failed his medical.
The aforementioned Tavolieri claimed at the time that Club Brugge’s No.32 had a “piece of loose cartilage” floating around in his knee, and also persistent back issues that need managing.
Therefore, Crystal Palace are taking as much time as needed to explore Nusa’s fitness, and make sure that any £25m move will not come back to bite.
What about Emile Smith Rowe?
If Crystal Palace are unsure about making an official bid for Nusa due to injury concerns, then the same question must be asked of Emile Smith Rowe.
A story from Sky Sports claims that Freedman has submitted a bid for the Arsenal No.10 this summer, with the Guardian adding that Crystal Palace are expected to go as high as £35m.
That would see Smith Rowe become our new record signing – surpassing the £27m spent on Christian Benteke in 2016 – although the England international’s fitness record is very worrying.
The man from Croydon – aged 23 – has missed 132 games in total across the last five seasons, spending a total of 609 days on the sidelines through injury.
That should be a point of huge concern for Steve Parish, to say the least.
Contrastingly, Nusa – aged 19 – has only missed 20 games and 87 days through injury, so spending £25m on the Norwegian should be much less of a worry than splashing £35m on Smith Rowe.
Be sure to keep an eye on developments at Crystal Palace, as negotiations continue in the background.
The summer transfer window has already been busy for Crystal Palace, but the coming weeks could take it to the next level.
The Eagles are preparing for the upcoming Premier League campaign, which will see Oliver Glasner take charge of his first full season at the club.
In his spell so far at Selhurst Park, the Crystal Palace boss has implemented an entertaining style of football while earning results along the way.
Heading into pre-season, there has been plenty of hope for what the future holds, but plenty of that could be determined by the transfer window.
Crystal Palace have already seen key star Michael Olise join Bayern Munich this summer, while other important players such as Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze have been linked with exits.
On top of the need for reinforcements in the squad, it brings about a tricky summer window for Glasner to navigate.
Southampton ready bid for Jesurun Rak-Sakyi
One of the latest players to be linked with an exit from Selhurst Park this summer is academy graduate Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.
The young winger enjoyed a productive loan spell with Charlton in 2022/23, but saw his minutes limited back at Palace last season due to a mixture of injuries and the form of his teammates.
That has naturally led to some speculation over his future, with reports claiming that Hull City are interested in Rak-Sakyi on loan.
However, there appears to be a new proposal on the cards as The Sun (page 57, 21/07/2024) claims that Premier League rivals Southampton are readying a move.
The report states that the Saints are making an offer worth £7million for the 21-year-old, which has left Crystal Palace “shocked”.
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi transfer decision
At this stage of his career, Crystal Palace face a dilemma over the pathway for Rak-Sakyi in the first-team squad.
The winger is clearly an exciting prospect, but there will have to be a clear route to guaranteed minutes to keep him on board.
The challenge of doing that was clear last season, with Glasner unable to accommodate a place in the matchday squad for Rak-Sakyi on several occasions.
Discussing those challenges at the end of the season, the manager said: “The situation is that we all agree with Eze, Olise and Mateta, it’s three amazing players in really good shape.
“Ebs [Eze] scores goals. JP [Mateta] scores goals. Michael [Olise] scores goals and gets assists.
“With Jeffrey Schlupp, Jordan Ayew and Odsonne Edouard, we have three players who could start every game because they also deserve it with their quality and talent.
“It’s maybe now a tough moment for Jes [Rak-Sakyi].”
With that in mind, the work to resist a permanent exit and to create that pathway to reach the first-team is now the task at hand.
Dougie Freedman is now set to fly out to France and hold talks to bring a long-term target to Crystal Palace.
There has been movement on the transfer front for Crystal Palace lately – with the Eagles bidding against Fulham to sign Arsenal No.10 Emile Smith Rowe.
As discussions between Crystal Palace and Arsenal continue over the England international, Dougie Freedman is now set to travel to France for crunch talks…
Crystal Palace stepping up Ismaila Sarr pursuit
A story from Alan Nixon now claims that Crystal Palace are going all out to sign Ismaila Sarr.
The Marseille No.23 is said to have been a target for Freedman across the last six years, with the Glaswegian now set for a face-to-face meeting with the Senegal international in France.
Nixon adds that Sarr even once spent a night in a London hotel as he prepared to join Crystal Palace in a past window before the deal collapsed, and has recently changed his agent – a sign that he is thinking about a transfer this summer.
It is also said that Oliver Glasner is keen on bringing the 26-year-old to Selhurst Park this summer, with Freedman already more than aware of the Senegalese forward’s ability.
Sarr – who is contracted to Marseille until July 2028 – scored five goals and provided six assists in 35 appearances last season, in what was his first campaign for the French giants following a £15m move from Watford in July 2023.
Senegal international could be a great signing
Freedman is clearly no fool when it comes to recruitment – his track record in signing Ebere Eze, Marc Guehi, Adam Wharton, Daniel Munoz and many more speaks for itself.
Therefore, the fact the Scot has chased Sarr for six years speaks volumes, and we can see the vision.
The man from Saint-Louis is a dangerous forward, thanks to his electric pace and 6ft frame, which will also presumably help him fit into Glasner’s counter attacking style.
Furthermore, Sarr can also play as a wing-back thanks to his athleticism, meaning we will have effective cover behind Munoz in that department, should a deal materialise.
Be sure to keep an eye on this situation, as Freedman flies to France for talks with Marseille and Sarr…
Take a look at all the latest news regarding the future of Eberechi Eze at Crystal Palace in the summer transfer window.
This summer is set to be a tough one for Crystal Palace as they look to navigate a transfer window filled with uncertainty.
ollowing impressive performances last season, plenty of their key players have been linked with an exit from Selhurst Park.
One of those has already been confirmed, with Michael Olise joining Bayern Munich in a transfer worth £50.8million.
Marc Guehi has been linked with an exit from Crystal Palace this summer too, with plenty of suitors queueing up for a move.
That’s while Eberechi Eze has also been linked with a switch, which would be a huge blow to the squad.
So with that said, here’s a look at everything we know about an exit for Eze this summer.
Eberechi Eze contract
Eze’s latest contract signing at Crystal Palace came in November 2023 as the winger put pen to paper on a new four-year deal.
His current contracted stay at Selhurst Park is until 2027, giving the club three years of security surrounding his place in the squad.
This means that the Eagles are under no pressure to sell if offers are made, given that his value is likely to stay consistent.
Eze release clause
In signing a new deal last November, Eze has a release clause included that will impact any potential transfer.
Release clauses are required to be paid upfront, rather than in instalments, and this means that the club can hold that value to any suitors.
Reports have claimed that Eze has a £68million release clause in his Crystal Palace contract, which would be the club’s most expensive sale of all time.
Michael Olise impact on Eberechi Eze exit
With Olise having left Crystal Palace this summer, there have been concerns over whether that will also force a move for Eze.
The two forwards formed a dream partnership for the club in their time as a duo, but with that now over, there are potential worries.
Recent reports have stated that Olise’s move to Bayern Munich may push Eze to leave Crystal Palace, coming as a potential blow.
The 26-year-old, much like his teammate, has a release clause that could see a host of teams trigger a deal.
Tottenham and Arsenal interest
Amid the links with a move this summer, Tottenham and Arsenal appear to be the frontrunners in the race for Eze.
Reports have stated that Spurs appear the favourites over their North London rivals, though the release clause is yet to be triggered.
The 26-year-old spent much of the summer so far on international duty with England at Euro 2024, which may have prevented any move being made.
With the forward now on his break before returning for pre-season, it’s a situation that could heat up in the weeks ahead.
Tottenham talks for Eze
The latest reports have claimed that Tottenham have held talks with Eze and his representatives over wage demands involved in a transfer.
Ange Postecoglou appears to be keen to get a deal done for the winger, bolstering his side’s chances of a Champions League finish and beyond.
Eze is claimed to be on a wage of £100,000-per-week at Crystal Palace, following the signing of a new deal back in November.
