Crystal Palace have sent scouts to watch a potential 2025 arrival as they look to plan for life without talismanic figure Eberechi Eze, according to a report, with a young target catching the eye of Oliver Glasner.
Crystal Palace start season slowly
As it stands, Crystal Palace are one of just four Premier League sides yet to win a game this season, with the feel-good factor around Selhurst Park firmly a distant memory. After winning six of their final seven games under Glasner last season, they have scored just five times this season despite adding several new stars to their attack.
Currently in the relegation zone, they face a series of crunch games before the November international break as they look to bounce back towards midtable, where they were expected to finish this season.
Crystal Palace’s next five games
Opponent (home/away)
Competition
Nottingham Forest (Away)
Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur (Home)
Premier League
Aston Villa (Away)
Carabao Cup
Wolves (Away)
Premier League
Fulham (Home)
Premier League
Much of their early season was overshadowed by transfer speculation, with the Eagles losing two key players over the summer in the shape of Joachim Andersen and Michael Olise, neither of whom have yet been replaced in Glasner’s ranks thanks to injury and form.
They could face another big summer of change ahead too, with Marc Guehi still a target for several clubs around the Premier League and Eberechi Eze having a release clause in his contract which comes into effect again this summer.
Now, it seems that Palace and Glasner are preparing to lose their star attacker, and have already begun sounding out a potential replacement.
Crystal Palace scout young talent likened to Griezmann
That comes as Football Transfers report that Crystal Palace are one of two Premier League clubs scouting Lille sensation Hakon Arnar Haraldsson. The versatile forward only joined the Ligue 1 side last season, starting 15 times in his debut season for Lille after becoming the Danish Superliga’s second-biggest ever sale.
He enjoyed a strong start to this season though, grabbing two assists in seven outings before a broken foot left him sidelined for the international break, but before that, both Tottenham and the Eagles reportedly sent scouts to watch his progress, and his performances “caught the attention” of both managers.
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Largely stationed on the left-wing, both sets of scouts were left with “the belief that he is similar to French star Antoine Griezmann due to their similar build and technical prowess”. It is added that Haraldsson, who would be an exciting signing in his own right, is “seen as a potential replacement” for Eze should he leave next summer in search of European football.
Though valued at just 9m euros by transfermarkt, Haraldsson still has almost four years left to run on his £16,000 a week deal with Les Dogues and was signed for 15m euros in 2023, meaning that he is unlikely to be available on the cheap, especially if Palace were to receive a hefty fee for Eze first.