Crystal Palace have ‘huge concerns’ as five-man exodus on the cards at Selhurst Park
Crystal Palace are fearful of losing a number of key players alongside Oliver Glasner when the season ends amid growing interest in their signatures.
That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that Palace must be proactive in finding replacements for their star names.
Glasner is expected to leave Palace when his contract expires, as is Marc Guehi, and there are questions about Daniel Munoz, Adam Wharton and Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Football Insider revealed in September that Crystal Palace are doing everything to keep Glasner, and the same is the case for their best players at Selhurst Park.
While they may be fighting a losing battle on the managerial front, there is a growing feeling that they cannot afford too many big departures, or they will face a major drop off.
Crystal Palace doing everything to prevent mass exodus
Brown told Football Insider in August that Crystal Palace are preparing for major exits, as their success has alerted clubs to the talents of their best players.
The former scout who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, insisted that the Eagles must do everything to keep their best players at the club.
“Crystal Palace have to do everything in their power to keep them,” he told Football Insider.
“That starts with the manager, but it goes for four or five players in that squad as well, who have been key to the success they’ve had.
“Daniel Munoz is probably as good a right-back as there is at the moment, so say they lose him, whoever replaces him is likely to be a few degrees less than him.
“Then that same thing happens with Marc Guehi, they lose him and whoever they bring in to replace him isn’t as good as he is.
“The it’s Adam Wharton, it’s Jean-Philippe Mateta, it’s Oliver Glasner. These are players and the manager who are all capable of being right at the top of the game.
“So if they leave Palace, they’re weakening their team by ten per cent every time, and all of a sudden they drop off from competing near the top to right down the bottom.
“The hierarchy at Crystal Palace have to put plans in place for losing these players to limit the impact, and that means being proactive so that you’re not rushing an panicking.
“Because being in a situation like this is a huge concern, where you’re expecting to lose players, but don’t know whether the ones coming in will be good enough.”
Daniel Munoz exit update emerges after his confession
Aside from Guehi, who has already made Palace aware that he will leave when his contract expires, Munoz’s future has emerged as the most pressing concern.
The wing-back has been linked with moves to some of Europe’s biggest clubs including Barcelona and Man United, and recently confessed he would be interested in those clubs.
However, Brown told Football Insider on 14 November that Crystal Palace hope to keep Munoz beyond the January transfer window despite the growing interest.
The Crystal Palace wing-back has been a star name under Glasner and played a vital role in the Eagles lifting the FA Cup against Man City last season.
His recent absence through injury has shown clearly how much he is missed when not available, and contingency plans are now being put in place.
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