Crystal Palace set to assess Jes Rak-Sakyi’s development – with no early loan move on the cards for next season

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Crystal Palace are set to use pre-season to assess whether Jesurun Rak-Sakyi is ready to impact their first-team squad next season.

The 20-year-old took his goal involvements for loan club Charlton Athletic to 19 after scoring a brace in Monday’s 3-2 win over Burton Albion in SE7.

Rak-Sakyi has been nominated for EFL Young Player of the Season along with Ipswich Town midfielder Cameron Humphreys and Plymouth Argyle’s Bali Mumba.

The winner will be announced at the EFL’s awards night at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane on April 23.

The South London Press understands that Palace will make no quick decision on whether the Southwark-born wideman needs another temporary spell away to further his development.

Instead Rak-Sakyi will be involved in their build-up to the 2023-24 campaign. If the Eagles do decide to loan again it will be later in the summer transfer window.

Rak-Sakyi has started 39 first-team matches for Charlton this season and could have had a hat-trick against the Brewers but was unable to keep a far post strike down.

There seems little benefit to the England U20 international heading back to England’s third tier next season after proving too hot for defences to contain.

And Rak-Sakyi will attract a stream of Championship suitors. His double at the start of the week pushed the South Londoner back to the top of Charlton’s goal charts with 13.

Rak-Sakyi did not set himself a target of being the Addicks’ top scorer.

“I’m just trying to build on and improve game by game,” he said. “If I keep doing well and working hard, I know the goals and opportunities will come.

“The most important thing is we keep winning – try and finish as high as we can in the table.

“I’ve got a lot stronger, which has helped me. I knew there would be a lot of physicality in this division. That’s really helped me, because I know if I want to play at the highest level, you’ve got to be good on the ball but also, you’ve got to be strong as well.

“It’s a lot more physical (in League One). You don’t get a lot of time on the ball before the defenders are on you. You’ve got to be smart. I’m happy that the gym programme here has helped me develop and get stronger, because that’s what I needed coming into this season.

“Of course, I wanted to score a hat-trick (against Burton), but the most important thing is we got the three points.

“We wanted to get that reaction from Friday [a 1-0 defeat at Bristol Rovers]. We wanted a reaction for the fans who made the journey.

“I’ve got a lot of good players around me, which helps me. In training we’re working hard together – trying to get a strong connection with each other – and it’s working.”

Charlton boss Dean Holden has gone with a youthful front three with Rak-Sakyi often part of a front three of Tyreece Campbell and Miles Leaburn, both 19.

“Some managers are really over cautious defensively and some are the opposite – I like to think I’m somewhere in between,” said Holden. “I want us to play on the front foot.

“We don’t want to just be a team who counter-attacks or is possession based, we want to be a team that can mix it as well – even if a team wants to have a bit of a scrap.

“The good thing about players like that is when you get them the ball, more often than not, there is a chance to get up the pitch with Tyreece’s pace, or Corey (Blackett-Taylor). Jes is slightly different, he is coming in the pockets.

“When we win the ball on the edge of our box or are breaking then you’re actually excited – you don’t know what is going to come. But something is going to happen, isn’t it? They are going to get you out of your seat.

“I’ve been on the other end of it as a manager. I just love watching them play and the way they are so direct and take people on.

“There is loads to work with. They will play. We’ve shown that.

“The way the team is evolving, there are young players coming in and we need to keep adding experience around it, you can’t have one without the other.”