‘Crystal Palace transfer plans thrown into doubt’ after CAS ruling
Crystal Palace’s European uncertainty will have affected their negotiations with potential new signings this summer.
That is the view of football finance expert Dan Plumley, who told Football Insider exclusively that the boardroom shake-up and relegation to the Conference League have likely played a major role in the lack of incomings this window.
It has been a slow start to the summer for the Eagles, with only back-ups Walter Benitez and Borna Sosa arriving at Selhurst Park.
The club’s focus has been captured by their appeal against UEFA’s decision to demote them from the Europa League to the Conference League, thanks to John Textor’s multi-club ownership of the South London side and Lyon.
Crystal Palace are planning to “accelerate” their transfer plans this summer, Mick Brown told Football Insider.
But with the Eagles losing their appeal [Sky Sports] with the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), they will face a challenge bolstering Oliver Glasner’s squad.
‘Too much going on at Crystal Palace’
This article contains exclusive comment from Dan Plumley, a football finance expert and senior lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University.
The uncertainty that has been plaguing Palace this summer has led to them failing to improve their starting XI.
Marc Guehi, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Adam Wharton, and Eberechi Eze continue to be linked with a move away from the club.
And speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Plumley noted that the upheaval will have had a detrimental effect on their business.
He said: “It’s a really difficult one to judge Palace every single year, because they’re not a club that spends loads at any given point in time.
“We talk about loads of clubs in the transfer window, we don’t often talk about Palace.
“Over the last few years they have been a mid-table Premier League Club and they’ve won the FA Cup, which was phenomenal, and have then qualified for Europe.
“But there is [the European competition dispute], which would affect how you negotiate with players.
“Because you’re looking at it as, we can offer you this, but it might be this, and that’s going to be tricky with any club when you move between competitions or leagues.
“The other thing that’s happened at Palace as well, linked to that, is that Textor has sold his shares.
“Now you’ve got a new investor coming in, so the back of house and the boardroom are having a big shake-up as well, which is then going to also impact things you can do playing side.
“It just feels like there’s almost too much going on at Palace in the background at the minute, and that might be playing out in the transfer market.
“But I think it would go back to the point for me that European football is an absolute bonus and wasn’t on the agenda, and therefore they’re probably being about as active as they normally are in any given season.
“We’re just looking at it through a different lens, because they’ve got European football.”
Chelsea make Marc Guehi decision
Whilst clarity has been found on which European competition Palace will be competing in this summer, the same cannot be said for the future of their captain.
Guehi has been linked with a return to Chelsea after Levi Colwill suffered an ACL injury, ruling him out for much of the 2025/26 campaign.
The 25-year-old has one year remaining on his contract, making this summer the last opportunity for Palace to cash in on the England international.
But despite losing Colwill, Chelsea’s interest in Guehi has cooled and they will focus on other targets, which may open the door for Liverpool or Newcastle to pounce.