Crystal Palace 2024-25 Premier League preview: Signings, key player and one to kick on
Crystal Palace landed just their second-ever top-10 Premier League finish in the last campaign and are heading into their first full season under Oliver Glasner.
The Austrian manager arrived midway through February, replacing Roy Hodgson, and notched up an impressive seven-match unbeaten run – winning six of them.
Palace recorded a 5-0 win on the final day of the season against Aston Villa and finished 10th – 23 points clear of the bottom three – with Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise and Jean-Phillipe Mateta scoring goals for fun.
Adam Wharton, Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi and Dean Henderson all won a place in Gareth Southgate’s England side due to Palace’s end-of-season form.
But the Eagles have had a summer of uncertainty with the playing squad.
Michael Olise has been plucked away by Champions League giants Bayern Munich and Guehi, Eze and Mateta have all been linked with moves away.
Here is Edmund Brack’s preview of Crystal Palace’s 2024-25 Premier League campaign.
Last season’s league position: 10th
Top-scorer: Jean-Philippe Mateta (19)
Most appearances (all comps): Tyrick Mitchell (41);
Players in: Ismaila Sarr (Marseille, undisclosed), Chadi Riad (Real Betis, undisclosed), Daichi Kamada (Lazio, free)
Players out: Michael Olise (Bayern Munich, undisclosed), Scott Banks (FC St Pauli, undisclosed), Malcolm Ebiowei (Oxford, loan), Joe Whitworth (Exeter, loan), David Ozoh (Derby, loan), Jairo Riedewald (released), Nathan Ferguson (released), James Tomkins (released)
KEY PLAYER: DANIEL MUNOZ
The Colombian right wing-back was a revelation after arriving from Genk last January in an initial £6.8million deal.
Munoz has instantly become a fans’ favourite at Selhurst Park and is a fundamental part of Glasner’s set-up.
The 28-year-old picked up four assists in 16 Premier League outings and went close on a handful of occasions to scoring his first goal.
He will look to link up with Daichi Kamada at the start of the campaign down the right-hand side of the pitch, with the two showing in the final pre-season test against Nantes that they have an understanding of each others game.
Munoz’s gut-busting runs and dangerous crosses will be a key component to any potential success this season.
ONE TO KICK ON: ADAM WHARTON
The 20-year-old was outstanding after arriving from Blackburn for an initial £18million last January.
Wharton’s passing range and ability to win back the ball saw him earn his England debut and first major tournament inclusion.
He is already being touted at £100m and is expected to be the next one to leave Palace for a huge profit when an acceptable offer comes in.
AREA WITH STRENGTH IN DEPTH: MIDFIELD
With Cheick Doucoure returning from a long-standing achilies injury, Glasner is set to have a real headache with picking his two central midfielders in the squad.
Will Hughes and Wharton were the starting two towards the end of last season, with Hughes’ form landing him a one-year extension and Wharton earning international recognition.
Jefferson Lerma was also impressive in his debut campaign following his free transfer from Bournemouth but featured as a centre-back under Glasner and missed five of the last six games of the season through injury.
Kamada has played in the centre of the pitch before and Naouirou Ahamada can also feature there. However, Ahamada has struggled to nail down a place since arriving from Stuttgart.
AREA FOR CONCERN: REPLACING OLISE
While Ismaila Sarr and Kamada have arrived this summer, Palace are yet to sign an attacker who possesses the flair of the French youngster, who picked up 16 goal contributions in 19 Premier League outings – a record which will be hard for any mid-table top-flight side to replace.
Last season showed that Olise or Eze struggled to produce the same attacking quality when one was sidelined through injury – the Fulham draw in the final seven games of the season came when Eze was missing.
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi has left to join Sheffield United on loan, and there is a lack of attacking talent who can go past players left in the squad.
YOUNGSTER WHO CAN KICK ON
Talented Irish youngster Franco Umeh has impressed Glasner over pre-season.
The Eagles had Ryan Sessegnon on trial following his release from Spurs. He would have provided competition for Tyrick Mitchell but rejoined Fulham.
Umeh, 19, is being primed for a first-team spot as cover for Mitchell and is highly thought of by the Eagles.
PLAYER WHO COULD LOOK FOR AN EXIT
Keeper Sam Johnstone, 31, has lost his starting spot to Dean Henderson after suffering an elbow injury on international duty with England.
He wants to leave the Eagles to become a starter for another Premier League side.
VERDICT ON THE BOSS
There is huge excitement heading into Oliver Glasner’s first full season as Palace boss, due to his pedigree of winning trophies at Eintracht Frankfurt.
The only concern is whether the Eagles will be able to keep hold of enough of their star players and replace the quality of Olise to continue the form they showed in the second half of last season.
FAN’S VIEW: Alex Pewter (Five Year Podcast):
Crystal Palace are headed in the right direction. Much of that sentiment is attached to head coach Glasner and the stability that his staff and tactical set-up bring. While fine-tuning is likely required, especially given the number of players returning late to pre-season due to international commitments, there is a clear identity of how the team will try to play.
The early summer recruitment has added depth and insurance to the squad despite the loss of Olise to Bayern Munich, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t work to be done before the end of the transfer window.
The club’s financial restraints within a league that appears unencumbered when spending on new players will prevent some re-balancing of the squad. It would take sales to fund it, be it an elite talent such as Marc Guehi or some of the old guard.
Players such as Tyrick Mitchell, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Daniel Munoz may not be at the top of everyone’s lists of key players, but their athleticism and work-rate make the Glasner system tick.
Losing any of them to injury leaves the club without heirs apparent, as it stands.
Despite those challenges, this is a club aiming to climb the league table rather than simply trying to survive.
Prediction: Ninth to 11th.
TOP FOUR
Manchester City (champions), Arsenal (runners-up), Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur
BOTTOM THREE
Brentford, Ipswich and Leicester
SURPRISE PACKAGE
Fulham
OPENING FIXTURES
August 18 – Brentford A (Premier League) 2pm
August 24 – West Ham H (Premier League) 3pm
September 1 – Chelsea A (Premier League) 1.30pm
PICTURES: PA