With one of the oldest squads in the Premier League, Crystal Palace are in desperate need of a rebuild. Manager Roy Hodgson has hinted at the prospect too, believing that it could help with their ambition of becoming a top ten club.
Roy Hodgson Suggests Rebuild Lies Ahead at Crystal Palace
Changes to Come
Palace have the oldest average starting 11 in the top-flight. Their average of 29 beats both Watford and Burnley, who average 28.4 and 28.1 retrospectively.
As a result, the Eagles are keen to amend that, as currently, their squad has very little resale value. Wilfried Zaha is the only player likely to command a big fee; however, he is 28 in November.
Hodgson, who is in the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park, believes that Palace have stagnated in terms of transfer dealings in recent years.
Speaking to Jack Rosser of the Evening Standard, he said: “No team, at least a team like ourselves who have been in the league for a period of time now, should necessarily have the ambition to purely stay in the League.
“I think we should have an ambition which is higher than that and I think it is very important with this transfer window coming up, with a squad of players that hasn’t changed very much over the three years, it would be a good moment to get some sort of refreshment in the squad, some new faces and competition. Everyone at the club is 100 per cent behind that idea.
“If that was to come to fruition, and we find ourselves with a few new faces and a lot of enthusiasm about the new players coming in, how they are going to add and help our squad to be better, then I think it would be very surprising if the club’s ambition was not to say: ‘Right, we’ve finished in the middle of the table for the last three seasons, let’s hope now we can have a smoother passage and get ourselves that bit higher up the league.'”
Ambitions Declared, But Where Do Crystal Palace and Roy Hodgson Need to Strengthen?
Palace will be hoping that a blend of youth and experience will see them edge into the top half of the Premier League table.
Right-back Nathan Ferguson is expected to join on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract with West Bromwich Albion. It is an area of the pitch where they need to strengthen, with Joel Ward being their only out and out right-back.
Additions in defence may depend on who leaves. Mamadou Sakho has been linked with a return to France, and as a result, that could see a younger replacement arrive.
The number of arrivals may depend on the club’s finances following the Coronavirus pandemic, which is likely to have their transfer plans significantly.
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