At least Pierre Sage did his research before joining Crystal Palace in June. Having stepped into Oliver Glasner’s shoes after the most successful era in the club’s history, it has not been the easiest transition for the engaging Frenchman following defeats against Everton and Manchester City to start the new campaign, and amid uncertainty surrounding the futures of some of the Conference League winners’ key players. Ismaïla Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta ended up staying at Selhurst Park despite interest from Liverpool and Aston Villa respectively, while Palace brought in four new players after missing out to Sunderland for Malick Fofana in one of deadline day’s most dramatic storylines.
But Sage is sanguine about experiencing a typically chaotic first transfer window in south London, and relieved to be able to concentrate on events on the pitch before Saturday’s trip to Fulham. I think we are in line with what we need.” Glasner, who has been joined at Nottingham Forest from Palace by Daniel Muñoz, made no secret of his dissatisfaction at having to wait until deadline day to bring in players after Palace signed four in his first summer at the club in 2024. It’s not Sage’s style to make a similar fuss, even if he is understood to have expressed frustration over their efforts to recruit a top-class replacement for Maxence Lacroix when the France defender was sold to Chelsea in July.
His favoured target was Ismaëlo Ganiou from Lens, the 21-year-old a key competent in the team that won the Coupe de France and finished second in Ligue 1 under Sage last season. However, Lens were reluctant to sell one of their prized assets and Ganiou signed a new deal at the start of August, forcing Palace to explore other targets. A deal for Joel Ordóñez of Club Brugge broke down as the Ecuador defender is still recovering from a broken foot, while attempts to sign Augsburg’s Chrislain Matsima and Raphaël Le Guen of Brest also came to nothing.
The arrival of Axel Disasi and the teenager Honest Ahanor on loan will help plug the gap, yet there remain major doubts over whether Lacroix’s leadership at the back has been fully replaced. Having failed to lure Mamadou Sangaré from Lens, with the Mali midfielder opting to join Brentford instead, Sage was the driving force in Palace’s attempt to bring in Fofana from another of his former clubs, Lyon. That ultimately proved futile despite a series of phone calls to the Belgium forward on deadline day.
At the end, the player chooses.” It remains to be seen whether the signing of the Chile forward Dario Osorio from the Danish club Midtjylland on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer for £26m makes up for the disappointment given he plays mainly on the right flank. Palace are well stocked in attacking areas having also signed Dwight McNeil and Evann Guessand – who has been left out of the squad for the Europa League – and kept hold of Sarr. The return of Ben Chilwell and late addition of Quinten Timber to midfield will add depth and are believed to have gone some way to satisfying Sage, not to mention Palace’s rejection of bids from unnamed sides for Adam Wharton.
Manchester City and Chelsea were believed to be among those who showed an interest. But after breaking their transfer record twice in January, for Jørgen Strand Larsen and Brennan Johnson – who was swapped for McNeil, with Everton – Palace’s summer net spend of almost £40m in profit was the second lowest in the division behind Aston Villa. Over the past five seasons, Hull and Coventry have both invested more than Palace’s £90m despite being in the Championship.
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