Crystal Palace have been named as shock contenders to sign a big-name Tottenham star who is ready to leave this summer.
Palace set for crucial summer with new players and manager identified
Palace head into the summer facing the most significant period of change at Selhurst Park in years.
Oliver Glasner will leave when the season ends, Adam Wharton is expected to follow him out of the door for a fee that could reach nine figures, and the club that won the FA Cup and Community Shield just 12 months ago now needs to rebuild around a new manager and a new identity.
The managerial search has already hit complications.
Andoni Iraola was Palace’s first choice, but the Bournemouth head coach — who confirmed his own departure from the Vitality Stadium at the end of the season — is more likely to head elsewhere, as Sky Sports reports.
Thomas Frank, sacked by Tottenham in February following a disastrous spell in north London, has reportedly been sounded out by Steve Parish.
Frank’s seven-year record at Brentford — where he developed players like Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo and David Raya while routinely competing beyond the club’s means — is rumoured to be the principal reason for Parish’s interest.
Away from the search for a new manager, Palace are also working on summer recruits.
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An unexpected name has entered the conversation too, and one which will raise a fair few eyebrows.
Crystal Palace eyeing shock move for Tottenham star Cristian Romero
Sports Boom report that Palace have made tentative checks on Cristian Romero, the Tottenham captain who looks increasingly certain to leave the club this summer.
Romero, 27, has a clause in his current Spurs contract — which runs until 2029 — that permits him to leave in the event of relegation.
With Tottenham sitting in the bottom three, winless in the Premier League in 2026 and now without their captain for the rest of the season following a knee injury suffered at Sunderland, the possibility of that clause being triggered is a genuine one.
The Argentine World Cup winner obviously has no interest in dropping into the Championship, and it is believed he is ‘ready to quit’ this summer.
However, given he has been linked with the likes of Real Madrid, reports of Palace registering an interest in Romero comes as a surprise to say the very least.
Parish could certainly have his work cut out for him here, with competition across Europe and the top flight set to be fierce for the defender who will also command a large transfer fee.
For Palace, a centre-back of Romero’s calibre would represent exactly the kind of statement signing a club in transition needs.
Whether they can secure a new manager, retain enough of their squad and still move for a player in that demand is the challenge facing Parish this summer.
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