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All eyes are currently on Andoni Iraola when it comes to Crystal Palace’s hunt for a new manager.
The Spaniard is the primary target for Steve Parish as Oliver Glasner prepares to leave Selhurst Park – and is said to be seriously considering a move to Crystal Palace when he leaves Bournemouth at the end of the season.
Iraola is, nonetheless, a very ambitious target, so alternatives are being lined up such as Kieran McKenna and Pierre Sage. The latter has now seen his stock rise even higher after winning the Ligue 1 Manager of the Season award.
Who deserves to take the crown from Daniel Munoz? 👑
Pierre Sage named Ligue 1 Manager of the Season amid Crystal Palace links
The 47-year-old has enjoyed a fantastic campaign in charge of Lens.
Sage has steered Lens to second in Ligue 1 behind PSG in just his first season at the helm, and amazingly, could still win the title if he can overcome the UEFA Champions League finalists on Wednesday night.
Nevertheless, even if Lens – who can count on Odsonne Edouard as their top scorer with 12 goals this term – fail to win the league, Sage has already secured the Ligue 1 Manager of the Season award, beating Luis Enrique, Paulo Fonseca, Bruno Genesio and Olivier Pantaloni to the trophy.
It was the BBC who claimed that the man from Lons-le-Saunier is being considered by Crystal Palace as an alternative to Iraola, a very strong source.
So, if Iraola – who Chelsea also like – opts against a move to south London this summer, Sage could well receive an approach from Parish after his excellent season in charge of Lens.
Should the Frenchman choose to stay with Lens, the BBC add that Thomas Frank, Sean Dyche and Marco Silva have also been “explored” by Crystal Palace.
Who do YOU want as the next Crystal Palace boss? 🤔
Be sure to keep an eye on the situation – winning the UEFA Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano could make all the difference in our hunt for a new manager.