The tenure of the club in the top league in Europe has brought mixed fortunes on and off the pitch, with varied emotions and expectations of what the transfer window brings, with the curtains closing on another, we can look back and feel this one hits differently.
Spurred on by a manager’s first window in position and the team’s stature elevated following a series of good results that marked the end of the last campaign, accompanied by the prominence of Palace in the Euros and Olympics, the club looked in a strengthened position to hit the window with more bargaining power than ever before.
With a slight deviation from historical activity, the club conducted early and meaningful business. Avoiding the potential for a headline grabbing summer of negotiations the Michael Olise situation was quick business, receiving a sizable figure for a player who will ultimately reach the top of the game whilst also ensuring our Premier League rivals were not able to secure his services.
As Olise made his move to Germany, the disappointment was quickly quashed as two quickfire incumbents were announced as Oliver Glasner sought comfort in the signing of Daichi Kamada on a free transfer whilst Chadi Riad moved into the squad as speculation grew of Marc Guehi’s potential move away during the summer.
With early business conducted, this was where we returned to the Palace we are more acquainted with. More speculation of players leaving whilst conducting our business in near silence, of course with exception of Chairman Steve Parish’s statement regarding Marc Guehi’s price tag.
As deadline day approached, the lack of concrete deals was again evident, littered more with deals of players leaving the club than moving to Selhurst.
The club waved farewell to arguably a selection of most influential players in recent years. Few would’ve been too excited when Jordan Ayew joined the club for a £2 million fee and even less would’ve predicted how the front man’s ability to secure territorial advantage, link the play and produce vital moments would dictate the direction of the club. Leaving for fellow Premier League team Leicester for £8 million underlines the value he produced when at the club.
For many of the Palace faithful the departure of Joachim Andersen will have been a bitter pill to swallow. Much loved across the fan base and integral to the club’s success in recent years, it was the security blanket being ripped off especially with the ongoing rumours surrounding Guehi’s position, were we due to have two of our first-choice defenders taken away? The near £30 million fee proved astute work for a player entering the latter years of his career and a contract running down.
The tide was halted slightly as the Eagles banked long-time target Ismaila Sarr whose potential hasn’t been realised yet at the top level but adds strength to a bench that, in previous years, has often displayed inexperience and lacked occupying the allocated seats.
Then, within a blink of an eye and without too much noise, we entered transfer deadline day. The reputation, an ever growing one at that, of Footballing Director Dougie Freedman is made from the business of the transfer window and the Palace legend did not disappoint.
Fresh from the rewards of our January window where Adam Wharton dropped in from Blackburn to help dictate the play from midfield and subsequently impressing England Head Coach Gareth Southgate to make the plan to the Euros, Freedman’s management of the window appears, at first glance, to have been potentially one of his best yet as the squad takes shape in a strengthened position like never before.
Making their way out of SE25 were Sam Johnstone, Odsonne Edouard, and Naouirou Ahamada. Many will be sad to see Johnstone leave the club but his hunger for first-team opportunities are a priority at this stage of his career whilst remembering that his position as Palace’s first-choice stopper only changed when incurring an injury on international duty, a status he will want to return with positive showings for his new club Wolves.
Whilst Johnstone showed great consistency at the club, reluctantly we cannot share the same for Edouard whose early potential unfortunately lacked development into the marksman that saw Premier League club’s interest spike. Ahamada’s move comes as a little surprise having failed to make an impact. This comes as no failure of the player himself, more evident of a time that saw the club sign players with potential rather than proven talent and Ahamada realistically hasn’t the skill set currently to impact the Premier League.
With hours passing and speculation circulating the momentum kicked in. The marker was set early as Glasner’s press conference confirmed club captain Guehi’s long-rumoured move to Newcastle United will not develop any further, the highly-rated defender would remain at the club and more positively that he hadn’t expressed a desire to move on.
With that box ticked and the positivity embedded the fluidity at which we attacked on the pitch during last season’s run-in was replicated in the boardroom as contacts and social media posts came thick and fast.
Another long-term target was secured, Eddie Nketiah moved across London and back to the south to further add to our attacking prowess, Palace seizing on the opportunity following a break down in negotiations with Nottingham Forest earlier in the week, the move feels right and a good fit for all.
Inevitable but encouraging, Glasner reunites with another trusted player as Maxence Lacroix was added to a back-line that shows more security and depth than ever before.
As the clock approached the 11pm deadline, further positive news was announced as Trevor Chalobah moves from West to South-East London to further develop his career in a setting those before him have experienced and thrived, hoping his time with the Palace will provide the fortunes afforded to Loftus-Cheek and Gallagher. Importantly, maybe less spectacularly, the addition of Matt Turner to replace Johnstone brings an experienced, if not equal quality, number two goalkeeper into the ranks.
The Premier League era has provided many great results on transfer windows, the impacts of which are still being rewarded to this day but few have seen the squad appear with such strength and potential. Palace have been able to move players on, players who have been regular features in the matchday squad but also in need of greater first-team opportunities and those whose time at Palace, and their impact, may potentially wane in periods to come.
The restless nature of supporters is always understandable, we want the best for the club and for our south-London outfit to continue to grow and develop in a manner we will soon see with our home Selhurst Park. But we should be reassured that there is security in silence, knowing that Dougie Freedman and his team are working behind the scenes and, in this instance, creating a squad with more depth and quality than ever seen at Selhurst Park.
