Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise is still a transfer target for long-term admirers Chelsea despite the star signing a new contract.

The Blues pursued the winger during the summer and it looked at one point that the former Chelsea youth player would be returning to Stamford Bridge after the West London club paid his release clause.

However, the French international ended up staying and signed a new contract at Selhurst Park, worth £100k-a-week.

According to journalist Simon Phillips, this transfer saga isn’t over as Chelsea are said to want to sign the France U21 star and are planning a new move in the 2024 summer transfer window.

The Eagles will be demanding a lot more money than the £35m release clause this summer and that is one big benefit of Olise signing a new deal.

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Tottenham are in the market for a new centre-back and the North London club have come out of their meeting this week having identified two Premier League stars. 

Spurs lost Mickey Van de Ven to a hamstring injury during their defeat to Chelsea earlier this month and the Dutch defender has been ruled out of action until 2024.

Ange Postecoglou was already short in this area of the pitch as the Australian coach is not a fan of Eric Dier – who is expected to leave in January.

According to the Daily Mail, Spurs have identified Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi and Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite as potential targets for January; whilst alternatives come in the form of AC Milan’s Malick Thiaw, Morato of Benfica and Sporting Lisbon’s Goncalo Inacio.

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Both Guehi and Branthwaite have been two standout defenders in the Premier League this season and either one would be a great addition to Postecoglou’s squad.

Both are young and will develop into even better players than they are now but the problem for Tottenham is the fact that clubs will not want to sell mid-season.

Everton’s financial situation makes the 21-year-old an easier signing but if Spurs want either of the two, they will have to fork out a large chunk of money.

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A former Crystal Palace academy star has died aged just 34.

Oliver Spedding was believed to have worked his way up through the system at the south London outfit before turning to a life of jail time and porn.

According to Sport Bible, he fell out of love with the game whilst he was in prison, and upon finishing his time inside, decided to try and carve out a career in the adult industry.

It’s understood that he still played part-time in the non-league scene at this point.

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In a previous interview with James English, Spedding admitted that the porn industry wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be and that the ‘dream job’ was anything but.

He also told of his regret about not continuing with his Palace career, opting for a life which saw him go off the rails.

It isn’t clear how he died at this stage, but Sport Bible also mention that some of his previous clubs have already paid tribute to him on social media.

There was talk of him apparently getting back into the game though it appears that any initial contact came to nothing.

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Borussia Dortmund striker Youssoufa Moukoko has struggled for regular game time at the German club this season and he has been linked with a move away from the club.

A report from TeamTalk claims that the 19-year-old is on the radar of Liverpool and Newcastle United. Apparently, both clubs have scouted the player extensively, and it remains to be seen whether they decide to follow up on their interest with a concrete proposal to sign him in the coming months.

The report further adds that Crystal Palace and Fulham could now join the race for the German international. Apparently, the 19-year-old attacker is still keen on staying at the German club, and he wants to prove his quality at Dortumd.

It remains to be seen whether the Premier League clubs can convince him to move to English football in the coming months.

The likes of Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Fulham could certainly use more depth in the attacking department and Moukoko could be a solid long-term investment for them. The likes of Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak are currently sidelined with injuries and Newcastle need more cutting edge in their attack.

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Similarly, Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta have not been able to find the back of the net consistently for Crystal Palace and Fulham are yet to replace Aleksandar Mitrovic adequately.

As far as Liverpool are concerned, they have Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo at their disposal. In addition to that, Diogo Jota can also lead the line for the Reds. A move to Anfield might not be ideal for Moukoko who needs regular game time.

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Bournemouth have reportedly registered their interest in signing defender Rob Holding from Crystal Palace.

That’s according to a recent report from Football Transfers, who claim the Cherries are keen to bring the former Arsenal centre-back to England’s south coast amid his limited playing time since joining the Eagles.

Despite only being signed by Roy Hodgson this summer, Holding, 28, has struggled to keep either Marc Guehi or Joachim Andersen out of the team.

Consequently, with the 28-year-old starting in just half of the Eagles’ Premier League games this season, an almost immediate transfer out of London is now a possibility.

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Admiring the former Gunner, as well as needing his level of experience at the back as the club look to retain their top-flight status, manager Andoni Iraola will likely do all he can to convince Holding to join his project.

Obviously, a transfer, whether it be in January, or at the end of the season, will all depend on Palace’s willingness to offload one of their most recent signings. However, with the 28-year-old struggling to become part of Hodgson’s matchday plans, a move away feels like it could benefit all parties

The post Bournemouth add Crystal Palace defender to transfer shortlist appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United’s need for a sporting director is acute, with Crystal Palace’s Dougie Freedman one of a few names being thrown into the hat for the job.

The Telegraph (subscription required) linked Freedman amongst a handful of candidates that also included legendary player, Paolo Maldini.

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Fabrizio Romano, speaking to CaughtOffside for his Daily Briefing column, suggested that Paul Mitchell was actually the favourite, and Palace chairman, Steve Parish, speaking on the Rest is Football podcast, appeared to rule Freedman out of the running.

‘”You would have to get into the minds of those people (Manchester United decision makers) wouldn’t you,” he said.

“I certainly don’t think there’s been any conversations. It’s flattering for the club.”

Pictures from Rest is Football

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Things have really gone from bad to worse for Timo Werner at RB Leipzig, the former Chelsea forward enduring a nightmare in the 2023/24 season.

WhoScored note he has just two goals across the whole campaign so far, and his place at RB Leipzig this season has often been taken by the likes of Benjamin Sesko and even Xavi Simons.

The only realistic option for the former Chelsea flop, now 27 years of age, is a move away, and as 90Min note, he has apparently been offered to the Premier League and that Fulham, Crystal Palace and West Ham are interested in his services.

However, that information doesn’t tally with that of transfer expert and CaughtOffside columnist, Fabrizio Romano.

“Despite rumours, I have to say no, honestly, I didn’t hear that he’s being offered to other clubs,” he said when speaking to CaughtOffside for his exclusive Daily Briefing column.

“Some Premier League clubs have asked about his situation as it’s not an easy time for him at Leipzig, but I don’t have any confirmation yet on club names as it’s purely early stages, nothing concrete yet.”

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Of course, things can and often do change, and if Werner wants to kick-start his fading career, then leaving Leipzig would appear to be the only option available to him at this moment.

Seemingly devoid of confidence in front of goal, the German international needs to find a club where his skill set is perfectly complimentary to that which said club already has in situ.

One of the most natural and feared goal scorers when he was at Leipzig first time around, things have gradually got worse for Werner.

However, he’s still got plenty of time to reverse the narrative.

The post ‘Not an easy time’ – Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive update on Timo Werner’s potential Premier League return appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Ahead of the January transfer window, West Ham like many clubs across Europe will be assessing the options, and it appears that a former Chelsea flop could be of interest to the Irons.

One area where the Hammers have struggled this season is up front. Their total of 21 Premier League goals scored in 13 games is the second worst of the top 10 teams in the English top-flight.

Most of those goals have come from midfield as the club’s two main strikers, Michail Antonio and Danny Ings, have managed just two between them all season – both from Antonio – according to WhoScored.

Whether or not they make it to the knockout stages of the Europa League, it’s abundantly clear that David Moyes needs to bring in a striker with proven pedigree to help West Ham attack the second half of the campaign.

To that end, it makes no sense as to why they’ve a watching brief on Chelsea flop and current RB Leipzig man, Timo Werner.

The 27-year-old has managed a paltry two goals in 234 minutes of action this season per WhoScored – hardly likely to enthuse the London Stadium faithful.

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90Min suggest that London rivals Crystal Palace and Fulham are both interested in a loan for a player that has, apparently, been hawked around to a number of Premier League sides.

West Ham’s interest hasn’t stretched that far – yet, though European football could swing any deal for them if and when Werner becomes available and assuming the east Londoners want to get a deal done.

The post West Ham face competition for Chelsea flop in the transfer window appeared first on CaughtOffside.

The next few months would appear to be crucial for Man United as Sir Jim Ratcliffe looks to overhaul the sporting side of the business once his 25 percent stake in the club is ratified.

The Telegraph (subscription required) note that he will turn to Sir Alex Ferguson for advice and guidance, which is a move that’s sure to prove popular with the long-suffering Old Trafford faithful.

There’s clearly much to be done, both on the playing side as well as staffing in executive areas and otherwise, and not forgetting that the infrastructure issues that have dogged the club for years need to be addressed.

Those changes, and more, aren’t going to happen overnight, and during each step of the process, Sir Jim would do well to not only seek Sir Alex’s counsel, but to involve the supporters in some way.

The lack of inclusivity under the Glazer family has no doubt gone some way to ensuring the depth of feeling against them remains.

One appointment that could ruffle a few feathers, however, is that of a new sporting director.

The Telegraph suggest that Crystal Palace’s Dougie Freedman could be in the frame because of his relationship with Sir Alex.

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Though it’s believed that other targets may be preferred, if Sir Alex is going to have any influence, then Freedman at least has a shot at impressing Sir Jim before the new appointment is announced.

It’s worth remembering that Freedman has been the author of some of the Eagles best deals of late, and with a bigger pool to swim in he might well be the ideal candidate for the job – even if the likes of Paolo Maldini and others are waiting ominously in the wings.

The post Crystal Palace man in running for major Man United role as Sir Jim turns to Sir Alex appeared first on CaughtOffside.

There could be trouble brewing at Selhurst Park after Crystal Palace’s ultra supporters claimed that they’ve been unfairly targeted by the club.

Though the tag ‘ultra’ can often be used to frame supporters as hooligans, it can also define a fan as being particularly supportive, for example by enthusiastically singing throughout a match or by helping to make and display tifo banners.

Football grounds are great places to be when the atmosphere is really bouncing, and more often than not, it’s the ultra groups that get things started in that regard.

As an older style ground, the Selhurst Park stands remain close to the pitch and as a result, it means the stadium still retains that sense of fear for visiting teams whose players have to run the gauntlet at throw ins and corners in particular.

The club may well have shot itself in the foot, however, as Your Local Guardian have reported that the Holmesdale Fanatics group have had their megaphones, banners and other paraphernalia taken away and locked in a storeroom.

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“Saturday’s banners towards Croydon Council were a result of continued unnecessary targeting of the Palace support over the last few months,” a statement from the group said.

“Banner stands have been ripped down, storerooms locked and previously allowed materials suddenly banned from entering the stadium.

“On top of this, display banners are still banned from being hung from the upper tier leading to a huge reduction in the number of tifos produced.

“Due to these restrictions, we found ourselves unable to access drums, megaphones and flags before kick-off forcing the group to stop its usual support.”

With much of footballing tradition being sanitised for the modern era, many of the vestiges of tradition have gone, never to return.

If clubs are now going to veto having a section of hardcore support, it really is the beginning of the end for modern football.

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