Crystal Palace are expecting to see a host of changes at Selhurst Park this summer, with several faces set to move on and new faces also expected to arrive.
Oliver Glasner will depart at the end of his contract, while Adam Wharton and Jean-Philippe Mateta have been strongly linked with moves away too, with the Eagles hopeful of replacing them all early on and then strengthening their squad further with more arrivals.
The club will have some decisions to make during the window as a result, and one decision that they have already made is on whether they want to proceed with a deal to sign Aston Villa star Evann Guessand permanently.
Crystal Palace Make Guessand Decision
During the January transfer window, Glasner made bolstering his attack a priority, and a deal was done to bring Guessand to the club from Aston Villa on an initial loan, with an obligation to move permanently for £28m.
However, that obligation would only be triggered if the Ivorian played a certain number of games, and injuries have meant that he is now unlikely to hit that number, giving Palace the choice over whether they want to continue with the deal.
According to Alan Nixon, writing on his Patreon, owner Steve Parish has made the decision that he will seal a deal for the forward, described as ‘elite’, despite the current agreement being put at risk as a result of the player picking up a knock.
The Eagles have been very happy with his performances since arriving in south London, having registered two goals and two assists in 11 appearances across all competitions, and he will now be available for whoever the next manager in place is.
Crystal Palace Must Be Stable
While some changes are inevitable, Palace must find a way to ensure that they keep the team as stable as they can do so that the new manager coming in has to deal with as little turbulence as possible.
Guessand has proven himself to be a Premier League-level forward, who has experience playing in Europe, and is versatile enough to play in multiple positions and systems. So keeping some continuance within the squad by sealing a deal you had already committed to is a smart play by all involved.
It’s one less position that Palace will need to strengthen in the summer, and the new manager will already know what he has at his disposal when he arrived, so this feels like the right and sensible decision to make.