If Crystal Palace loses important duo Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze this summer, they are allegedly preparing an odd succession plan.
It’s no secret that Crystal Palace has some of the most intriguing players in the Premier League right now, but they’ll be cautious to think that way after this summer.
Both striker Eberechi Eze and winger Michael Olise showed off their skills over the weekend, leading Palace to a 5-2 victory over West Ham United and easing their worries about relegation.
However, both players are in high demand this summer, and several major teams are keeping an eye on them. Tottenham and Manchester City are both showing interest in Eze. City made an unsuccessful attempt to sign the Englishman in the summer when Palace rejected their £60 million deal.
The Englishman, who signed a new contract at Selhurst Park last summer and is now bound there until 2027, may receive the same treatment again this summer.
Less is known about Olise, though; he signed a new contract in south London, which is thought to have a £65 million release clause that will be activated this summer, after rejecting down Chelsea last summer after the blues activated his £35 million release clause.
The skillful Frenchman is reportedly being closely watched by Arsenal, Manchester United, and Manchester City as a result. He is eager to leave Palace for a Champions League team, but he may decide to stay.
But if he does depart, Palace seems to have come up with an odd way to use the money again.
While Palace’s choice of whom to target is not surprising, the fact that they are replacing one young talent with another is. This coincides with The Sun’s story that, in the event that they lose Olise and Eze, they intend to pursue Raphael Onyedika, a defensive midfielder from Club Brugge.
The 23-year-old is called “one of the best young players in Europe” and it is said that Brugge is open to selling the player for roughly £20 million if interested parties want to buy him this summer. According to the story, Dougie Freedman even personally attended his Brugge game last week.
They will have competition for his signing because he has been linked to moves to Turkish team Galatasaray, Everton, and Premier League opponent Nottingham Forest, according to earlier reports.
On the surface, Oliver Glasner’s action might appear strange. Throughout his league career, Onyedika, a defensive midfielder by trade, has averaged 240 minutes of yellow cards per 240 minutes played and has only managed 11 goals.
In the meantime, Palace has enough of inventory there already. Next season, Cheick Doucoure will play again, and Adam Wharton has been excellent since joining from Blackburn Rovers. In an effort to bolster that area, they also signed Naouirou Ahamada in January 2023. It is obvious that the Eagles would face a far greater challenge in producing and scoring points if their players depart.
Would they not be better served investing their Olise revenue at the top end of the pitch, even if it was available at a discounted fee?
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