Although Roy Hodgson won’t be able to call upon the services of Wilfried Zaha next season, Crystal Palace do appear to be on the verge of a stunning double coup.
Zaha’s skill set and pace might not be missed too much if the Eagles are able to get the deals over the line, and in so doing, give their manager a great chance to continue the work that he began at the back end of the 2022/23 campaign.
Before he took over from Patrick Vieira Palace were dropping like a stone, and though they were never truly in the relegation dog fight, had Steve Parish not acted decisively in the way he had, they might well have got dragged in.
The team were reborn under the former England coach and were clearly enjoying their football.
If the club can add a handful of players that will improve what Hodgson already has in situ, then there’s no reason why they can’t be considered next season’s dark horses.
Everton’s Demarai Gray is being targeted along with Flamengo’s Matheus Franca, and it’s the former deal that could be one to soon be concluded.
“They are two names of strong interest,” Daily Express journalist, Ryan Taylor, told Give Me Sport.
“Demarai Gray is one that I expect to end up getting done. I know Fulham are also interested. There have been clubs from Saudi Arabia, including Al-Hilal, who are also interested.”
With a few weeks left of the summer transfer window to go, there’s plenty of time to get one or both players through the door too.