Despite the turbulence surrounding Eberechi Eze’s departure, Crystal Palace capped off a strong week by extending their unbeaten Premier League run with a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest — a clash played in a charged atmosphere between rival fans.
Their controversial Europa League expulsion still lingers in the background, but a narrow 1-0 win over Fredrikstad FK has put Oliver Glasner’s side firmly on track for Conference League football.
Speaking to Match of the Day, Glasner was quick to praise the Palace faithful for their unwavering backing during a testing start to the season:
“We always know we can count on our supporters. They did it again. It’s always special to play at Selhurst. I’m more or less delighted with our start — four competitive games, four unbeaten. There’s been a lot of noise around us, but the players deserve huge credit for handling it.”
Still, attention is already shifting towards potential reinforcements, with the Eagles keen to inject new creativity into their midfield and attack following Eze’s £67.5m exit.
Reports continue to link Palace with Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss, while West Ham star Lucas Paquetá remains another tantalising option — though Manchester City’s revived pursuit of the Brazilian could complicate any deal.
According to The Sun, Palace may instead look abroad in a double swoop to cover Eze’s absence. Villarreal winger Yeremy Pino and Club Brugge attacker Christos Tzolis are both firmly on the radar, with each valued around £20m.
Intriguingly, sources suggest there is a split behind the scenes: Glasner is said to favour Tzolis, while chairman Steve Parish is pushing for Pino. That disagreement could yet result in both arriving before deadline day.
What’s clear is that Crystal Palace have money to spend, but with the clock ticking, decisive action will be needed to ensure they don’t lose the spark that Eze brought to the side.
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