Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace and Aston Villa are eyeing a move for Gent's 22-year-old defender Archie Brown. (Mirror), external

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Crystal Palace are interested in Norwich midfielder Gabriel Sara.

The 24-year-old scored 13 goals and got 12 assists as Norwich finished in sixth place in the Championship before they were knocked out of the play-offs.

It’s understood that no talks have taken place and that Sara is one of a number of players on a shortlist that Palace are tracking this summer.

The Eagles have been active in the transfer market and are getting close to completing a deal for Real Betis defender Chadi Riad.

The 20-year-old is set to undergo a medical on Wednesday or Thursday of this week ahead of a deal worth up to £14m.

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Barcelona defender Chadi Riad will have a medical on Wednesday or Thursday before a move to Crystal Palace for £12m plus £2m in add-ons.

The 20-year-old joined Real Betis on loan from Barcelona last summer and made 30 appearances in 2023-24.

Riad has won two caps for Morocco, with the centre-back most recently featuring in a goalless draw against Mauritania in March.

Crystal Palace part-owner John Textor is stepping up his bid to buy Everton, with a proposed purchase by US-based investment group 777 Partners unlikely to go ahead. (Sky Sports, external)

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Real Betis defender Chadi Riad, 20, is set to arrive in England for a medical ahead of a potential £12.7m move to Crystal Palace. (Mail), external

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How closely have you been paying attention to the Eagles' Premier League campaign?

Check out our Palace quiz - and see if your knowledge is in order.

Try it now

For all the club Premier League quizzes, head here

Manchester United are leading the race to secure the signature of Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise. (Football Transfers), external

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Dougie Freedman is set to stay as Crystal Palace’s sporting director amid interest from Newcastle.

Freedman, who also used to be manager at the Eagles, was of interest to Newcastle after they placed their sporting director Dan Ashworth on gardening leave before an expected move to Manchester United.

Freedman has been responsible for the recruitment of stars Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi, Adam Wharton and Dean Henderson.

The Eagles under Freedman have built up a reputation of being top operators in the transfer market, finding players for perceived value and giving them a platform to showcase their talents.

Palace have four players in the Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 training squad with Eze, Guehi, Wharton and Henderson all given a place in the 33-player group.

Palace have also made clear that they do not need to sell their stars this summer and made clear that it will take at least £60m for them to entertain bids for Eze or Olise.

The south London side finished 10th in the Premier League this season with a club record 49 points.

Has it been a season of progress, stagnation or indifference?

When Roy Hodgson was in charge it looked like it was going to be just another season in the Premier League, and there was the threat of being dragged into a relegation battle at one point. However, after the appointment of Oliver Glasner and a top half finish, it can definitely be said the season has been one of progress.

Biggest success for club this season?

The way the Eagles finished the season, it would have to be said that hiring Oliver Glasner is the biggest success. The way players such as Jean-Philippe Mateta have been improved means things are pretty optimistic heading into next season. The mentality of the team has changed and the players go into each match believing they can win, even against the big six.

There are two results that show the progress and are examples of the success - the 0-1 win against Liverpool at Anfield and the 4-0 win against Manchester United at Selhurst Park.

Biggest let down or frustration?

The worst moment for supporters and probably the club this season was the 4-1 defeat to rivals Brighton when the home fans were singing for then manager Hodgson to stay. The form was poor at that point of the season and there didn’t seem to be an immediate way to turn things around.

Key item on the summer agenda?

The biggest thing for Palace to focus on is whether they can keep their key players in Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze. The pair ended the season in excellent form and played a huge part in Palace ending the season with six wins in their last seven games. It will take a minimum of £60m for the club to entertain offers and Oliver Glasner has said he wants to show that Palace is a club that can match their ambition.

Crystal Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman, 49, has rejected an offer from Newcastle United to replace Dan Ashworth in a similar role and will stay with the Eagles. (Football Insider, external)

Magpies boss Eddie Howe also wants Palace forward Michael Olise, 22, although the France Under-21 international is in high-demand. (Teamtalk, external)

Finally, Palace have agreed personal terms with Morocco and Real Betis centre-back Chadi Riad, 20, in a deal worth up to £14m. (Standard, external)

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We asked you to select your Crystal Palace player of the season from the four candidates chosen by our fan contributor.

After voting in your thousands, we can reveal the winner is... Jean-Philippe Mateta!

Image source, Getty Images

And here's what Jay Crame from The Eagles Beak, external had to say about your winner...

"It was difficult to explain how we felt about the Frenchman when he first joined the club. He managed to score some iconic goals along the way, but it is a struggle to name a player who has improved as much as Mateta over the past six months. His ability to hold up the ball and score goals regularly has been nothing short of miraculous!"

See the breakdown of results

And here is how the votes went for the other 19 Premier League clubs

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You could say it was a season of two halves for Crystal Palace. But a strong finish under Oliver Glasner led to 10th place.

Alex Pewter, from Five Year Plan podcast, external, has given his verdict on the 2023-24 campaign.

Season rating: A clear 8/10 season, recovering from a campaign destined for half that rating. Optimism may never have been higher, and it is entirely justified based on performances and an unlikely 10th-placed finish.

Happy with your manager? Yes, next question! Last summer’s managerial decision was passive, but the course-correcting arrival of Oliver Glasner and his staff has elevated the entire club. The only question mark will be how much the board will be willing to back him following this initial success, or if they rest on their laurels after failing to back previous managers.

Unsung hero: Tyrick Mitchell has been a tireless force down the left flank. He has shown significant development in attack in this new tactical system. Any defensive regression suffered under Patrick Vieira has proved to be a blip, and he remains an excellent one-on-one tackler.

Player you would most like to sign: Not a new player or even a contract renewal. The most important signing Crystal Palace can make this summer is to retain sporting director Dougie Freedman. Currently shrouded in Newcastle United speculation to replace Dan Ashworth, Freedman is the lynchpin in the Palace set-up. Given the pivotal summer ahead, losing the key figure in implementing any transfer strategy would be devastating.

Best away fans: The victory over Manchester United may have been a crowning moment for the home team and Selhurst Park crowd, but a clear low for Erik ten Hag and the travelling supporters. Yet, the away fans endured the game and were vocal until the bitter end.

See how our other fan writers rated their club's season here

Image source, Getty Images

Just five months after joining Crystal Palace from Championship side Blackburn Rovers, 20-year-old Adam Wharton was named in England manager Gareth Southgate's provisional 33-man squad for Euro 2024 on Tuesday.

This continues the youngster's rapid rise with it being his first senior England call.

Wharton signed for Crystal Palace from Blackburn Rovers for £18m, with add-ons taking it to £22m, on 1 February this year.

The midfielder only received his first under-21s call-up - and debut - in March but he has been hugely impressive in recent months, finishing the season with Palace on a high as the Eagles won six of their last seven fixtures.

Head of Blackburn academy Stuart Jones said on Wharton: "In terms of his attributes, he was always an outstanding footballer, with intelligence and ability on the football.

"On the other side, he was a real humble young man. He came to our academy and he had all the attributes to go on and be a top, top player.

"He sees things that possibly other players don’t see and he's always shown that from a young age."

Wharton has made 16 league appearances since making the move to south London.

Image source, Getty Images

The team exciting me most is 10th-placed Crystal Palace. They have dropped only two points in the last 21, scoring 21 and shipping only four against the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Aston Villa Villa and Newcastle United.

Since Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta have got together they have been unstoppable and endlessly creative. They are as good to watch going forward as any side right now.

I hope they keep the trio together at Selhurst Park, but if any top-level club outside Manchester City or Arsenal came in and offered stupid money to buy all three as a job lot, I would not blame them.

Along with midfielder Adam Wharton, they are like The Beatles. They could still be fabulous individually, but put them together and they are untouchable.

Pat Nevin was writing for the BBC Football Extra newsletter

Manchester United are exploring the possibility of signing Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi if they fail to strike a deal with Everton for Jarrad Branthwaite. (Mail), external

Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Image source, PA Media

One of the first interviews with Oliver Glasner when he arrived at Selhurst Park to take charge of the Eagles was the Austrian making it very clear that he was not a magician.

Having witnessed such a dramatic transformation of squad on the brink of being sucked into a relegation scrap to ending the season on a run of title challenging form, we have to question how it has all come about if Glasner is not actually a wizard.

Everyone talks of a ‘new manager bounce’ but Palace did not have that with Glasner. However, those who watched games regularly saw an immediate improvement on the pitch. Then, during the end-of-season run of six wins and one draw, he put his philosophy into place with the way players have responded making it hard not to imagine what may have happened had he taken the role sooner.

Joachim Andersen was very clear about the impact. Ahead of the Liverpool game at Anfield, there was no talk of defending for the duration of the match and hope for a point - Glasner told the players they go there to win.

This run to the end of the season has been simply outstanding and a real pleasure to watch. It is not teams at the lower reaches of the table that have been beaten, and beaten soundly in most instances. Most of the games have been against teams above Palace in the table.

Ending the season in 10th place, equalling the highest Premier League finish by the club does give us a glimpse of what could be achieved under Glasner. He has already stated the club are doing everything to keep all the key players and, while that will be difficult, if Palace can succeed and then make a few alterations to the squad over the summer, next season could be a whole lot of fun.

Jason Crame can be found at the Eagles Beak, external

New York Times Journalist Rory Smith on Oliver Glasner's impact at Crystal Palace and on the form of Jean-Philippe Mateta:

"What is about to happen is so sad - it is the worst thing about modern football. They have been brilliant since Glasner came in. They have been incredible to watch.

"I thought Mateta was a perfectly serviceable target man who did a lot of good stuff that wasn't really glamorous but wasn't particularly eye-catching. He looks extraordinary, like original Ronaldo, under Glasner."

On Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise and Mateta: "The fact is those people will continue to share the same employer for the next six weeks, then they will be picked apart. Palace will have to start again."

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