A term my Dad and I use almost weekly regarding Palace is ‘never a dull moment’, and this latest transfer window proved to be anything but dull.
With the window now shut, the club’s statement of intent looks strong, with eleven (yes, eleven!) new players joining Crystal Palace in arguably the busiest transfer window for a very long time.
One exciting new signing is Anan Khalaili. After a brief cameo against Everton, we saw glimpses of what’s to come. Having made his full debut against Manchester City, he has already shown himself to be a very hot prospect. An exceptional replacement for Daniel Muñoz, who was a fantastic player for us, Khalaili almost appears to be a carbon copy, albeit a fair few years younger than his predecessor.
It seems the club wanted to bring some experience through the door with the arrival of Takehiro Tomiyasu, along with the return of Evan Guessand and Ben Chilwell. Axel Disasi and Dwight McNeil add even more Premier League experience.
If I’m being totally honest (pardon the pun!), I hadn’t really heard much of Honest Ahanor, Dario Osorio, Oscar Mingueza, Zavier Gozo or Quinten Timber, but if the manager and club wanted to bring them on board, they must fit the profile and values the club is looking for.
The drama surrounding Ismaïla Sarr’s ‘exit‘ proved to be anything but dull too. Much of the blame, however, has to be placed on his agents and representatives. He was ill-advised to delete anything related to Palace from his social media accounts, which inevitably sparked speculation about a potential departure.
The saga continued after the window closed, with his agent releasing an extravagant statement in an apparent attempt to portray the club as unwilling to let him leave. However, the reaction across social media seems to translate the statement as: “I missed out on millions of pounds in bonuses because the player was not sold.”
Jean-Philippe Mateta staying, in my opinion, is a bonus. Some people may argue that he tried to force a move last season through the failed AC Milan transfer and the rumours surrounding a potential FIFA dispute over his contract, but it appears Pierre Sage is happy for him to remain part of the squad.
Another huge sigh of relief is seeing Adam Wharton and Dean Henderson remain at Palace, both are key figures in the spine of the team and contribute massively in their own right.
The focus now is ensuring these new players gel with the current squad as we begin our climb up the Premier League table and look ahead to the start of our Europa League campaign.
