Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish: We won’t be overspending in this transfer window
By Richard Cawley
Steve Parish has spelled out that Crystal Palace will not break their budget in the current transfer window.
The Eagles are yet to add to their squad but Saturday’s 1-0 win over Burnley has lifted them to 12th in the table.
Palace are looking for additions down the spine of their side.
But Palace chairman Parish – speaking on the Five Year Plan podcast – said: “If you want to massively overpay then you can make anything happen immediately in football. We’re not in that situation, unfortunately.
“We’ve [the board] got our wallets out. I’ve got partners, we’ve committed again funds for this transfer window.
“We have spent £70million in the last two windows and got £2m back in. People can say we haven’t been wise, it could’ve been better but I look at most of the buys and they have done a good job.
“The odd one or two hasn’t worked out but they are human assets. They can have problems in life that affect them. Pape [Souare] had a bad injury which forced the situation [to sign left-backs] last January.
“The striker thing is well-documented but the striker market is unbelievably difficult. Everyone is out there looking for them.
“It isn’t the force of your will that gets things done. And we have to bring in the right characters.
“We have got one or two situations which are looking good. Fortunately because the manager has done such an outstanding job – along with the players – we have got a bit of breathing space. But we’re not complacent.
“If there has been one criticism which has been well-founded – if it is my fault or the managers I don’t know – we’ve had our hand forced too often in the time we have been in this league. We need to stop doing that and create architect situations where we’re making the best decisions for the football club on a number of things.
“I’ve got two fantastic ingredients for that – Roy [Hodgson] and Dougie [Freedman]. It’s the best transfer environment I’ve worked in at the club.
“Dougie has got such a great work ethic, boundless enthusiasm and opinion – he doesn’t sit on the fence.
“You’ve got to find people who will start ahead of those people [you have got]. Everyone is looking for first-teamers in January. If we’re sitting in our boardroom then Swansea and Southampton will be talking about the same players in many respects.”
The interview with Steve Parish can be found here
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