Report: Crystal Palace now ready to offer 'one of the best pressers in Europe' a contract until 2030

01/02/2025 02:15 PM

Crystal Palace have given themselves a real chance to kick on in the second half of the season.

Oliver Glasner has managed to steer the Eagles back on track after going eight Premier League games without a win to start the campaign, overseeing three wins and four draws from the last eight outings to move the south Londoners up to 15th.

Crystal Palace have got a result against the likes of Manchester City, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Brighton and Bournemouth in that space of time – which is no easy feat this season.

Having accumulated 19 points from a possible 21 to end the 2023/24 campaign – buoyed by the January arrivals of Adam Wharton and Daniel Munoz – Crystal Palace are now looking to repeat that success in the Winter market with a move for Maxence Caqueret.

Crystal Palace ready to make Maxence Caqueret an offer

A story from Foot Mercato in France now claims that Crystal Palace are keen to bring the Lyon No.6 to Selhurst Park.

The French news outlet believe the Eagles are ready to offer Caqueret a five-year contract and send Lyon a sum of €20m (£16.6m) for his signature. John Textor, who owns the French giants, is expected to play a key role in negotiations, as the American is also co-owner of Crystal Palace.

Foot Mercato explain how the 24-year-old has fallen out of favour under Pierre Sage in recent weeks, and may well have already played his final game for Lyon as Crystal Palace show interest.

Caqueret – who Tottenham also like – has made 14 appearances in all competitions so far this season in a defensive midfield role.

Oliver Glasner already has many options in defensive midfield

At Crystal Palace, the Austrian typically uses a 3-4-3 formation with two holding midfielders flanked by two wing-backs.

With Wharton and Cheick Doucoure both suffering from fitness issues throughout this season, Glasner has relied on Will Hughes and Jefferson Lerma, while the 21-year-old Justin Devenny has also made an impact when called upon.

Daichi Kamada is also able to play in central midfield, so Crystal Palace already have six options to fill two positions, which makes us feel Caqueret – one of the best pressers in Europe, according to Breaking The Lines – is not needed in SE25.

Having said that, Hughes only has six months remaining on his contract, so perhaps Dougie Freedman is already preparing to replace the Englishman.

Crystal Palace are also looking at Nicolo Fagioli of Juventus – another central midfielder – so perhaps that theory could have some legs to it.