Crystal Palace’s summer transfer strategy boils down to two key objectives.
As well as expanding the size of the squad to cope with a first-ever season in European competition, they must guard against selling all their prized assets following an excellent season in which they won the FA Cup and qualified for the Europa League.
Top priority
The area most in need of strengthening is at centre-back, where the Eagles were left short for the second half of the season once Chelsea terminated Trevoh Chalobah’s loan spell early.
Marc Guehi is expected to be sold, with a year left on his deal and no prospect of him agreeing a new one.
Guehi’s exit would almost guarantee that a centre-back were brought in to compete with Maxence Lacroix, Chris Richards and Chadi Riad. Midfielder Jefferson Lerma has filled in there at times.
What else they need
The Eagles need proper wing-back cover on both flanks, where Tyrick Mitchell and Daniel Munoz play the vast majority of game time.
Manager Oliver Glasner also wants the club to sign two attackers.
The arrival of a central midfielder is conceivable but lower down Palace’s list of priorities for this summer. Recruiting a new back-up goalkeeper is under consideration.
Possible ins
Palace’s transfer plans hit a major snag at the end of March when sporting director Dougie Freedman resigned to take up the role of sporting director at Al-Diriyah in Saudi Arabia.
Freedman did leave assistant sporting director Ben Stevens and transfer consultant Iain Moody with a list of names of players to target this summer.
Signing Ben Chilwell permanently could be a solution for cover at left wing-back. He joined on loan in January after a £12.5 million bid for Slavia Prague’s El Hadji Malick Diouf was rejected.
Possible outs
Guehi has refused to sign a new contract and continues to dodge questions on his future. A free agent in 2026, Palace may prefer to cash in this summer. Newcastle have revived their interest in him, with his former employers Chelsea also keen.
Life at Palace has been rosy in their 16 months under Glasner but that has prompted interest in key men such as Eberechi Eze, Adam Wharton, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Daniel Munoz. They would do well to hold on to all four.
Rob Holding will leave. Offers will be considered for Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Naouirou Ahamada and Odsonne Edouard.
