Olise already left
©TM/IMAGO
It’s been a summer of mixed emotions for Crystal Palace supporters. Optimism was sky high after a stunning end to the season under new manager Oliver Glasner and a sense of pride was instilled from watching England at Euro 2024. Palace had four players in Gareth Southgate’s squad, which was more than any other club and Eagles captain Marc Guéhi was arguably England’s star performer in Germany.
The excitement around Selhurst Park for next may have been diminished slightly with trepidation rising that Palace could lose their key players. Palace had the fourth best record across the final ten Premier League games of last season and the form of several talented players alerted some of the biggest clubs in Europe. Michael Olise has already joined Bayern Munich but there’s significant interest in several other Palace stars and could there be an exodus this summer? And where would that leave Glasner’s revolution?
Three Crystal Palace stars attracting transfer interest
Understandably given his performances at the Euros, Guehi is attracting interest from several clubs. Liverpool have been strongly linked to the centre-back in recent days as they look to strengthen their defensive options after Joel Matip’s exit. Manchester United were also monitoring the 24-year-old but that interest has cooled after the arrival of Leny Yoro but the Frenchman’s move could bring Real Madrid to the table. The Spanish giants were determined to sign Yoro and they only have two fit centre-backs in their squad in Antonio Rudiger and Eder Militao. Palace, however, are in a stronger position to retain their captain as he doesn’t have a release clause in his contract like Olise or Eberechi Eze.
As the graphic above illustrates, Eze is Palace’s most valuable star and it’s understood Manchester City and Tottenham are both considering activating his release clause this summer, which stands at €70m. Signing the England international would represent Tottenham’s record signing and Daniel Levy is a notoriously shrewd operator, so it would be a massive show of faith in Ange Postecoglou. City are well stocked for attacking midfielders but there’s doubts over the future of Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva. Arsenal have also been linked with a move for Eze.
The third Palace star attracting interest this summer is Adam Wharton. The 20-year-old only moved to the club from Blackburn in January but his outstanding form earned him a surprise call-up to the England squad. Wharton’s acclimated seamlessly to the Premier League and he was vital to Palace’s strong end to the season. The midfielder has attracted interest from a host of European clubs – including Bayern Munich and Real Madrid – but he’s almost certain to remain at Selhurst Park next season as he continues his impressive development.
Olise departure joins Bayern Munich
Olise’s departure was almost inevitable this summer as Palace were powerless to lose their prized asset as there was a release clause in his contract. The French winger was outstanding at the tail end of last season after returning from injury, providing five goal contributions across his last three games. The €53 million that Palace received for Olise was their second most expensive sale in history and just €2m less than they received from Manchester United for Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace revolution
Glasner enjoyed a transformative effect on Palace following his appointment in February with the London club languishing in 16th place just five points above the relegation zone. Glasner arrived with a strong reputation following successful stints in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg and Frankfurt – where he won the Europa League in 2022. The Austrian’s astute tactical decision to switch formation to 3-4-3 paid dividends as it allowed Olise and Eberechi Eze to play more centrally and close to Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Glasner lost just three games from 13 in the league as Palace picked up 1.85 ppg to end the season on a high with a top half finish. The 49-year-old landed interest from Bayern Munich as they searched for Thomas Tuchel’s replacement. While Glasner has been a revelation since joining Palace, there will be concerns if they lose another star player or two and whether that money will be reinvested to strengthen the squad. If Eze and Guehi join Olise in departing this summer then Palace will receive in excess of €150m from their sales and it will be fascinating if the club hierarchy reward Glasner for his excellent start and back him in the transfer window to build the squad in his vision.