10th Jun 2024 • Written by Miles Treasure

Who can Crystal Palace afford to lose this summer?

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In the three weeks since the Premier League finished, Crystal Palace have had a chaotic and tumultuous time - a likely precursor to a busy summer. The transfer window does not open for another five days, but Palace’s star assets are already being linked with moves away to Europe's elite. With lucrative offers available for a host of Palace players, who can they really afford to lose this summer?

Marc Guehi

Since joining the club from Chelsea in 2021 for £18 million, the Englishman has hardly put a foot wrong. In the last 3 years he has made 111 appearances for the club, establishing himself as one of the best centre backs in the league, becoming club captain and breaking into the England squad. So why are Palace set to allow him to leave this summer?

Oliver Glasner’s Palace have shown they are more than capable of success without their Captain. They accrued 24 points from 13 games, the 5th most of any Premier League club since his arrival in February. Guehi has only made one start in this time, taking up an unfamiliar midfield role with the defender unable to break into the back three made up of Chris Richards, Joachim Andersen and Nathaniel Clyne. 

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Glasner’s new system has allowed the trio to flourish in their new roles with Richards’ pace helping to cover wide areas, Clyne allowed the freedom to make supporting runs and Andersen’s leadership and passing range being utilised to full effect. The addition of Chadi Riad, the highly rated La Masia graduate from Real Batis, points to Guehi’s likely exit  

In addition, the England international only has two years left on his original five-year deal, with the player uninterested in signing a new contract. With the 23 year-old  set to start for England in the Euros this summer, it seems like the opportune time to cash in on the defender and reinvest in weaker areas of the squad. 

Manchester United and Arsenal are reportedly interested with the reported fee being over £55m, which would break Palace’s club-record sale of Aaron Wan-Bissaka for £50m in 2019.

Eberechi Eze

Following Wilfried Zaha’s exit from the club last summer, Eze has become a talismanic figure at Crystal Palace, putting in consistent performances, engaging with the local community and showing traits that epitomise Crystal Palace: flair, determination and passion. 

The attacking midfielder’s arrival in 2020 represented a change in the club’s strategy and served as a blueprint for future transfers, signing one of the best talents in the championship and developing him into an established Premier League and International player; but could it now be time to complete the final step and sell him on for a healthy profit?

The Englishman has become an essential cog in the Glasner system, thriving in the inside forward role, bagging 6 goals and 3 assists in 11 games and even earning himself a place in the England Euros squad. 

He has formed a deadly partnership with Jean-Philippe Mateta and Michael Olise, with Crystal Palace winning 100% of their games under Oliver Glasner when all three have started. 

Eze has strong relationships with both French forwards, which is clear in their mutual interplay and understanding. This rapport would be near impossible to replicate and any replacement would take time to adjust to their new teammates and work hard at developing the insight and awareness that comes so naturally to Eze.

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Despite this, the imminent signing of Daichi Kamada is as good a replacement as  possible if Eze were to leave. The Japanese international experienced the best form of his career under Glasner, amassing 37 goal contributions in 93 games for Frankfurt, helping the club to their second ever Europa League. 

Kamada is already familiar with the system and the inside forward role, allowing him to adapt to the team quickly and be successful in Eze’s vacant position if he were to leave.

The South London native is subject to interest from an array of Premier League clubs, including Spurs, with his release clause reported to be £60m with £8m of additional performance based add-ons; however it may be more complicated to trigger than it appears. 

It would be a statement of intent for Palace to keep their front three together, but this fee would represent a healthy profit on the £17m that Palace paid QPR for Eze’s services. At 25, he may be looking to make the step up to European Football and while this would be a big loss, transfer targets Matheus Soule and Antonio Nusa could assist Kamada in filling the void. 

Michael Olise

In spite of a season littered with injury and frustration, Michael Olise may be Palace’s most sought after player - and with good reason. The Frenchman ended the season with 10 goals and 6 assists, averaging a goal contribution every 80 minutes, a record only marginally bettered by Cole Palmer. With a full season under Oliver Glasner, who knows what he could achieve.

Olise has already developed a good relationship with his new boss, racing over to celebrate with him after scoring against Manchester United. Glasner explained that he had advised him to shoot towards the near post, which proved to be effective with the forward’s effort curling into the top right corner.

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This sequence embodies what Crystal Palace can offer to Olise under Oliver Glasner, a space to develop, learn and shine under a coach who understands his potential and needs. If he is able to stay fit next season, there is no doubt that he would continue his form, sky rocketing his value and propelling him towards one of Europe’s elite.

He is already attracting interest from both Manchester United and Manchester City, with a reported release clause of around £60m, however this is believed to contain complicated clauses.

With Michael Olise, the sky is truly the limit and it is crucial Crystal Palace hold on to him this summer to allow them to continue their progression under Glasner.

Adam Wharton

Wharton has had a meteoric rise since joining Crystal Palace just 6 months ago, from making his Premier League debut, to being recognised as one of Palace’s top talents after outstanding performances against Liverpool and Manchester City and now making England’s Euro squad. It has been a whirlwind for the 20 year old and this is only the beginning of his Palace journey, but already he is being linked with a move away.

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Bayern Munich and Manchester City are both said to be keen on the young midfielder with City looking for a long term option to succeed Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri. Regardless of this interest, Wharton has five years left on his contract and it would take an immense offer for Palace to consider parting with the midfielder so soon after signing him. He has quickly become an essential piece of the Glasner puzzle and it is vital he stays this summer.

Overall verdict

Although there is strong interest in all four players mentioned, Crystal Palace should only be encouraging offers for Marc Guehi, with Eze, Olise and Wharton playing key roles in Glasner’s success at the club so far; each of them offering a unique skillset which would be difficult to recreate or replace. As fond as we are of Guehi, we will have to accept and recognise both the inevitability of these players leaving and the necessity of these sales to fund future transfers and strengthen the squad. 

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