From signing veterans for cut prices and getting the most out of their twilight years, to finding young, high potential players from lower leagues and polishing them into gems - it is fair to say Palace’s transfer model has changed in the last few seasons.
This change has been spearheaded by one man, Dougie Freedman. He has excelled at finding the perfect players to fit the club’s recruitment model.
With the Scot admired by many of the Premier League’s top clubs, The Palace Way looks into his record and what has made him so widely respected.
The Nothing Transfers:
Naturally, as is the case in football, there have been some incomings that have not taken to life well at Selhurst Park.
Some players that have been signed under Freedman’s watchful eye saw very little gametime, either due to injury or being out of favour.
The 2018/19 arrivals of Brazilian Goalkeeper Lucas Perri and winger Bakary Sako certainly fit into this category.
Perri did not make an appearance for the Eagles, and Sako contributed just 25 minutes. Despite not costing the club anything, they struggled to make any real impact. Sako’s cult hero status remains intact however, as a result of his exploits in his first spell at the club.
Midfielder Jacob Montes can also be viewed in this light– he was immediately loaned out, and saw no action. Why he was signed remains a mystery – an unproven American brought in, potentially to appease the new stateside investment, and then loaned out instantly – a nothing transfer.
Some signings simply haven’t seen enough game time to have their worth proved. Luke Plange and Malcolm Ebiowei, both picked up from Derby, fall into this category. Both clearly signed as young prospects for the future, the pair have made no meaningful contribution, and have since been loaned out to clubs including RWD Molenbeek in Belgium. There’s still time for them to have an impact at the club, but as time goes on it gets increasingly more unlikely.
Credit: Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images
Nathan Ferguson is also an impossible transfer to judge. A young, promising right back signed for cheap, to be plagued by injuries. His time at Palace came to an end this summer with his future career path looking unclear.
Naouirou Ahamada and Matheus França can also be deemed unproven. The latter has been blighted by injuries since his arrival at Selhurst Park, and has had limited chances to show his talents under both Roy Hodgson and Oliver Glasner.
When he has played, however, he has shown glimpses of why Palace forked out big money for him. Should he find fitness, and a run of games off the bench, he has the potential to be both an excellent player and excellent signing for the club.
Ahamada similarly has lacked playing time in his natural position in his time at Palace. He never seemed to earn Hodgson’s trust, seeing fleeting cameos at the end of matches, and was behind Jeffrey Schlupp and Jairo Riedewald in Glasner’s end of season pecking order. Whilst he is still young, one wonders whether Ahamada has a serious future in South London – hopefully, he can show the skills that made him shine in the Bundesliga next season.
Credit: Gustavo Pantano/MI News/NurPhoto/Getty Images
This summer has already been busy for Dougie Freedman, and two names are seemingly already confirmed for Palace. First, young Moroccan centre-back Chadi Riad joined for £12 million from Real Betis. This has all the hallmarks of a classic Freedman signing - young, with high potential and resale value.
Daichi Kamada has also joined on a free transfer from Lazio. The Japanese international looks like another typical piece of Freedman business. Having worked with Glasner before is one of the major attractions, alongside his talent and flexibility - being able to slot in in multiple positions. This looks like yet another crafty signing, with Freedman adding a Europa League winning player for nothing.
The Bad Signings:
Alexander Sørloth represents one of the Eagles’ biggest missteps in the market. Brought in for around £9m, the Norwegian managed just a single goal in 16 games for Palace, before being loaned around Europe. He was eventually sold to RB Leipzig for £20m, which represented a good profit on what was an underwhelming spell.
However, his career has taken off since leaving South London, leaving Palace fans wondering what might have been. Last season he came second in the La Liga golden boot race with 23 goals, and has cemented himself in Norway’s exciting young squad.
Victor Camarasa managed one appearance for the Eagles in a half-season loan before returning to his parent club. His time in South London was short, forgettable, and unimpactful.
Cenk Tosun’s time at Palace was similar - scoring against Manchester City was his only contribution, before an ACL injury ruled him out for the rest of the season after making only 5 appearances. Whilst he was unfortunate to be ruled out so soon after joining, ultimately Tosun did not do enough to win over the critics.
Rob Holding’s position in this section may seem harsh, but his career at Palace has never taken off, and may never. Even in a new system with three centre backs, Holding is fourth in the queue, and may move down even further with the arrival of Chadi Riad. For a cheap punt, it’s not awful, but it’s far from good, and until he appears for the team, he won’t change this.
Finally, the enigma that is Max Meyer. An unbelievably talented player picked up on a free transfer, who provided some magic to Palace in his first full season at the club.
After that however, his time in South London soured, ending with him leaving the club via mutual consent. An undoubtedly incredible technician who never gelled with Hodgson’s tactics after the first season, Meyer’s second season was spent training with the U23s instead of working in the team.
Credit: John Powell/Liverpool FC/Getty Images
Sadly, this transfer was nothing short of a failure - but not necessarily due to Freedman. Parish reportedly was very keen on signing Meyer, who may not have been on Dougie’s radar as a profile the team needed. Therefore, his failure could be seen as preordained - especially with Hodgson’s playstyle, he clearly never met the expectations the veteran manager had, and was out of the club.
Whilst it may not be Freedman’s fault, Meyer’s time at South London went from a promising start to a sorry conclusion. A poor piece of business.
The Awful Signings:
This category fortunately only boosts two names – undisputed Palace legends Jarosław Jach and Erdal Rakip. One could argue that they also didn’t have enough time to prove themselves, and work their way into the starting eleven – but more so than the other names suggested, their acquisitions seemed pointless.
Credit: James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images
There appeared to be no vision behind their signings, and no ethos that they aligned with, unlike more recent unproven signings. Between them, they managed one appearance at the club, therefore branding their time at Palace a failure.
The Solid Signings:
Remi Matthews is the perfect example of a fine signing. A third choice goalkeeper, who has made a singular appearance for the club, whilst seemingly being a great personality in the dressing room? Perfectly solid signing.
Matthews is not setting the world on fire, and he’s no football revelation, but he does exactly what he needs to.
The same could be said of Jack Butland - brought in for a cheap price, Butland was a solid backup goalkeeper, whose performances in the FA Cup took the side all the way to the semi-final under Patrick Vieira. Whilst he would leave on a free to Rangers, his ability to deliver when called upon was notable.
Two strikers also make this list. Michy Batshuayi the first of them. Two loan spells at the club brought a few goals - 7 in 29 appearances - and countless more offsides. But the Batsman was never brought in to lead the line and start consistently. He was viewed as a backup option behind Benteke.
Batshuayi played his role perfectly at Palace and was able to, on occasion, display the undoubted quality he obviously had.
Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Odsonne Edouard also meets this level of signing. Whilst it could be argued he has been a good signing, his regression - and the resurgence of Jean-Phillipe Mateta - have lowered him to this level. Since a blistering debut, Edouard has struggled for consistency at Palace, even when given a run of minutes. He’s not a bad player, by any means, and he contributes to all round play well, but does not do enough in front of goal. 18 goals in 93 appearances is not what Palace would have been hoping for.
The Good Signings:
Freedman’s eye for more experienced players typified his early windows, and he made some great acquisitions - James McCarthy and Gary Cahill chief among them.
The former helped run the midfield at his time at Palace, always giving 100% for the shirt. Whilst he tapered off towards the end of his time, his performance at Old Trafford in a 3-1 win stays with me today.
He ran the show with James McArthur that day, and would do so throughout his spell at Palace.
Gary Cahill was another senior who gave it everything - a warrior at the back, who made 45 appearances over two seasons. At 34, this was a fair return, and he left the club as a beloved fan favourite who had contributed massively to Palace’s stability in the lockdown seasons.
In Nathaniel Clyne, however, Freedman found the perfect balance between age and ability. Making 69 appearances since his return to his boyhood club, Clyne had played the role of a solid RB for most of his time at the club, deputising for Joel Ward, and sometimes starting over him.
Under Glasner, however, he has been reborn in the Right centre-back position, being a key member of a defence that looks impenetrable at times. His return to the club on a free transfer looks like a better piece of business with every passing day.
Credit: Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images
When you think of Palace players, the concepts of hard work, belief, and commitment are key attributes they all should possess. In Will Hughes, Cheikhou Kouyaté, and Chris Richards, Freedman found these quailties.
Kouyaté joined the club from West Ham, and played everywhere for the team. Typically a holding midfielder, his 129 appearances also found him deputising at centre-back during an injury crisis. No matter his position, the Senegalese international gave everything for the shirt, and continued doing so in the transition to Vieira’s system after Hodgson left.
Hughes and Richards were two brought in for this system, and they have both shown their worth to the Eagles. Chris Richards has appeared at Centre-back, Right-back, and Defensive-midfield at Palace, and has looked comfortable in each of these positions.
His flexibility, talent, and passion typify him as a good Palace signing - you need only watch him point to the badge after scoring his first goal to know he’s Palace for life. His community work as well further underline him as a good signing.
Will Hughes has been adored at Palace. He runs for hours, is cheeky and composed on the ball, and is absolutely not afraid of going in for a crunching tackle. He adds great steel to Palace, and his £6m makes him a very good acquisition.
Dean Henderson makes this tier too. Eyebrows were raised when he initially joined the club, wondering whether we needed his services given Sam Johnstone’s quality. But since he found consistent game time, Deano has gone from strength to strength, with his end of season form taking him to Germany with the England squad this summer. Whilst the fee was high, if Henderson can keep this level of performance up for 5-10 years, we are looking at an excellent signing and a potential Palace legend.
Credit: Jacques Feeney/Offside/Getty Images
It feels sacrilegious to place Mateta as just a ‘good’ signing given his end of season form, but for now he’s at this level. Under Hodgson and Vieira, Mateta looked lanky, awkward and wasteful. Whilst he worked hard, the quality simply wasn’t there.
However, under Glasner, Mateta has transformed into a different beast, scoring goals for fun. Cool, calm, and composed, Mateta set a club record for goals in consecutive home appearances, and was arguably the best striker in the league towards the end of the season. If he can replicate this form next season, and continue scoring freely, you can consider him a modern Palace great.
The Great Signings:
These signings represent Freedman at his best. Coincidentally, these are mostly from recent windows, where the club has looked to sign younger talent, as opposed to older veterans.
There are a few “veterans” in here however. Jordan Ayew can only be described as a modern Palace legend. Whilst he hasn’t been prolific, his workrate across multiple positions, and the odd purple patch, have made him a mainstay at Selhurst Park. Originally brought in on loan, and then permanently for £2.5m, he is one of Palace’s best value for money signings ever.
Credit: Dave Howarth/CameraSport/Getty Images
Whilst Freedman has consistently used the Bosman ruling to good effect with previous signings, three stand as shining examples of his work. Two goalkeepers entered SE25 on free transfers - Vincente Guaita, and Sam Johnstone. The former held down the starting decision for half a decade, before injuries and age saw him replaced with the latter. Whilst the end of his time at Palace was sad, getting 5 years of high quality goalkeeping for free is a simply unbelievable deal.
Sam Johnstone has also been a great addition on a free, being Guaita’s understudy and eventual successor. Whilst Henderson has replaced him in the team, getting a Premier League quality Goalkeeper in this manner is outstanding, and should he be sold to get more game time, would represent a nice cash injection for the Eagles.
Alongside these two, Jefferson Lerma has had an incredible start to his career in South London. The Colombian free agent has been rock solid in both midfield and defence for Palace, and looks to be another stellar acquisition. Lerma provides the graft and base on which the talents of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise have shined- and to get such quality and consistency for free is another feather in Freedman’s cap.
In Marc Guéhi and Joachim Andersen, Freedman acquired one of the League’s best defences for less than £40m. This partnership has gone from strength to strength with each passing week, and they provide such a solid base to build from.
Andersen’s long passing has been vital too, under all of his managers in South London. It is in many ways the perfect combination of defenders - strong, good on the ball, and pacey.
Credit: Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images
Whilst Marc’s time in South London may be coming to an end, amid strong rumours of his departure this summer, there’s no doubt he has been one of Palace’s greatest defenders - and he has been helped by having such an excellent partner in Joachim Andersen.
Daniel Muñoz has been another outstanding addition to this defence as well. Whilst it may seem early to place him as a great signing, it would be impossible for Glasner’s system to work without the dynamic Colombian. His engine and passion have already made him a fan favourite in South London, and adds a different dimension that the team could not function without.
Given Palace’s struggles at right-back, going between ageing and injured players, Muñoz has been the perfect solution for the Eagles.
Whilst feelings towards him may have soured with time, Conor Gallagher was another superb signing. His strengths aligned perfectly with what Vieira was looking for, and his year loan at Palace was nothing short of magnificent. Gallagher covered every blade of grass, and was irreplaceable under Vieira - to the point his absence marked the downfall of the manager.
Adam Wharton and Cheick Doucouré fill a similar brief. The latter was a simply unbelievable coup, signing one of the league’s best midfielders for a mere £20m. The Mali international has been an anchor in Palace’s midfield, and his absence through injury severely damaged the spine of the team. Hopefully a strong return from injury will remind fans just how essential he is to the team.
In his place, however, has stepped Adam Wharton, whose performances have been remarkable at the end of the season. Coming up from the Championship to dominate midfields week after week is no mean feat, and Wharton has done so and more, having played his way into the England set up this summer.
The ‘Wilpshire Pirlo’ has had an electric start at Palace, and can hopefully play an essential part in the team for years to come. Failing that, a large profit from his sale can be reinvested in the team to continue this period of development.
Credit: Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images
Finally, and perhaps inevitably, come Palace’s showmen. Calling the signings of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise “great” feels like an understatement. Eze’s signature came at a costly £20m, but Eze has paid this off and more since arriving in South London.
Shining brightly for Palace in a miserable lockdown season, Eze found himself out for the best part of a year after a terrible ACL injury. However, his form since returning from injury has been incredible. Palace’s talisman in the middle of the park has gone from strength to strength, especially under Glasner’s tutelage, and has since become an England regular, jetting off to the Euros this summer.
If Eze’s signing was excellent, however, then Olise’s was a masterstroke. Signing arguably one of the best wingers in the league for a mere £8m is beyond masterful, and Freedman was crucial to this move. Since his arrival, Olise has shone brighter the more minutes he played.
His talent was clear from the start, as he slowly integrated into the side under Vieira, to the point of being irreplaceable towards the end of the Frenchman’s reign at Selhurst. Olise shone in even the darkest of months for Palace, being a bright spark at the sorry end of Hodgson’s reign, and has only improved under Glasner too.
Credit: Jacques Feeney/Offside/Getty Images
Olise’s departure to Bayern Munich, whilst disappointing, is testament to the amazing work Palace are doing in signing and developing young talent.
It’s clear to see Freedman has an eye for talent. Lots of top young talent has been acquired and nurtured at Palace, and he has been pulling the strings for these deals.
As well as this, he can find value in veteran players too - it’s clear Freedman knows exactly what he’s looking for in a player, and has no issues with getting them if he wants them. Whilst he has had a few misses, overall his record is fantastic, making him arguably Palace’s most important member of staff.