As Palace’s summer transfer window began with Micheal Olise securing a move to European-giants Bayern Munich, before Joachim Andersen’s transfer across the capital to the Danes former club Fulham, the hopes of many Palace fans for an exciting season were beginning to fade.
On top of Newcastle’s persistence in their pursuit of Marc Guehi, the continued loss of key players and lack of action in attempts to reinforce the squad casted greater uncertainty over the club’s prospects.
Well, in typical deadline-day fashion, Palace finished the window with a flurry of much-needed additions to the club’s ranks, securing the signings of Eddie Nketiah, Trevoh Chalobah, and Maxence Lacroix.
Possibly viewed as direct replacements for some of the club’s outgoings, the trio bring a mix of versatility, youthful energy, and vast experience to Selhurst Park. As the trio aim to make an instant impact under Oliver Glasner, here’s what fans can potentially expect from each of the new recruits over the coming season.
Eddie Nketiah
Following Jean-Phillipe Mateta’s scintillating goal-scoring form towards the back of the end of the season, it may come as a surprise to many fans that Palace opted into paying around £30 million including add-ons for a new striker. However, Nketiah’s arrival from Arsenal could be seen as the missing piece in Palace’s attacking puzzle, despite Mateta’s 16-goal return in the Premier League.
Bolstering the attacking options for Palace manager Oliver Glasner, Nketiah is adept at converting chances with composure and calmness in front of goal, an attribute of the Englishman’s game consistently demonstrated for England Under-21s where he ranks as the all-time top scorer.
With an impressive 16 goals in 17 appearances and capable of playing as a lone striker, often seen in appearances for Arsenal, Nketiah certainly fills a gap for a Palace side often seeking more goal-scoring options. Nketiah’s clinical finishing, intelligent movement, and an instinct for being in the right place at the right time could see him make an instant impact when given the opportunity.
Nketiah’s introduction could also result in a change of attacking formation. In a throwback to the old days of ‘two up-top’, Glasner may look to develop a partnership between Nketiah and Mateta, with both strikers leading the line. Plus, with the support of Ebere Eze orchestrating attacks and operating as a creative playmaker in midfield, Nketiah could thrive on the service and link-up play, unlocking his full potential in front of goal.
Subsequently, whilst Nketiah’s promising potential and sizeable transfer fee does not guarantee consistent goal-scoring, his arrival is certainly a transfer that offers great excitement to fans. The possibility of a dynamic striking partnership between Palace’s new number 9 and Mateta raises hopes of a revitalised attack, with Nketiah’s intelligent positioning and natural finishing ability complementing Mateta’s physical presence and hold-up play. If the two can establish a strong chemistry, they have the potential to form a lethal partnership capable of delivering the consistent goal-scoring that Palace have often lacked in recent seasons.
Maxence Lacroix
As Joachim Andersen’s departure to Fulham unfolded, the club’s focus shifted to the challenge of finding a top-quality defensive replacement. Fending off competition from other Premier League rivals, Palace managed to secure the signing of Maxence Lacrioix, reuniting the player with Glasner from their time together at VfL Wolfsburg.
Arriving with a burgeoning reputation as one of Europe’s most promising defenders, Lacroix stands at 6’3” and is known for his aerial dominance and exceptional pace for a player of his size. At just 24, Lacroix has already made a significant impact in the Bundesliga, where his performances earned him a reputation as a tenacious defender, with his physicality and speed making him a key player for Ralph Hasenhüttl’s VfL Wolfsburg side.
Making 111 Bundesliga appearances for the club, and a further 19 in the UEFA Champions League, Europa League qualifiers and the DFB Cup, Lacroix’s experience and reliability should provide Palace with the defensive solidity alongside the likes of club-captain Marc Guehi, Chris Richards, and fellow deadline-day signing Trevoh Chalobah.
Poised to slot directly into the starting eleven, Palace fans should be excited about Lacroix’s arrival, with this signing considerably strengthening Palace’s defensive options. Having started the season by conceding twice to Brentford and West Ham respectively, before holding Chelsea to a 1-1 draw, Palace are still aiming for their first clean sheet of the season, clearly underpinning the importance of Lacroix’s integration into the Palace back line.
Trevoh Chalobah
Much like the signings of Nketiah and Lacrioix, Trevoh Chalobah’s loan move to Palace for the 2024/25 season brings a promising addition to the squad.
During his time at Chelsea, Chalobah demonstrated considerable potential, breaking into the team in 2021/22 and earning a regular spot in Chelsea’s back line. However, his playing time has fluctuated more recently due to the arrival of new signings and ever-changing management. Resultingly, Chalobah found himself surplus to requirements at Chelsea, akin to the four first-team managers Chalobah played under that preceded current Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, creating the ideal opportunity for Palace to sign the 24-year-old on loan.
Securing Chalobah’s services for the season crucially builds the team’s defensive depth and provides Glasner with a player known for his versatility. Chalobah has the potential to play as a central defender, wing-back or even as a defensive midfielder, offering valuable tactical flexibility.
Assuming Glasner continues with the tactical system that brought so much success last season, it is likely Chalobah shall slot into the back three where his physicality and ability to read the game could prove instrumental in providing the team with more defensive resilience. The Chelsea loanee will be looking to make his debut in Palace’s first game after the international break, at home against Leicester City, with Palace fans potentially seeing a new defensive line-up of Guehi, Lacroix, and Chalobah.
The signings of Nketiah, Lacroix, and Chalobah signal a new dawn at Palace, with Oliver Glasner’s first full season as manager tipped as one which could feature a push for the top ten, even challenging for the European football spots. Whilst these predictions have been downplayed by the Palace boss, one thing for certain is that the arrival of Palace’s deadline-day trio is sure to excite the Selhurst Park faithful, who will be eager to see their new signings in action as Palace aim to soar to new heights this season.
