Crystal Palace have now opened talks to sign a Champions League player on a free transfer this summer, according to a report.
Eagles have lofty ambitions after FA Cup triumph
Oliver Glasner is expected to remain at Selhurst Park beyond the end of the campaign, despite no doubt catching the eye of some of Europe’s top clubs by leading Palace to FA Cup glory, and Steve Parish has now insisted the board must match their manager’s ambition.
The Palace chairman said: “He (Glasner) will stay here, for some period of time,”
“Of course we want him to stay but things happen in football, clubs evolve and move on and I’d love him to stay but the club has to develop and show the ambition in terms of the things we have to do to move it forward for people to feel part of something. If that all aligns maybe it will.”
With the summer transfer window now fast approaching, the Eagles have started to identify some ambitious transfer targets too, with Paris Saint-Germain forward Lee Kang-In and Lyon star Rayan Cherki entering the frame in recent days.
There has now been a new update on a defender Crystal Palace are keen on in a report from The Sun, which states they have now opened talks over a deal for Atletico Madrid’s Reinildo Mandava, who is set to leave the Spanish club for free this summer.
Mandava’s contract is set to expire this summer, and he is attracting a lot of attention from the Premier League, with Everton and Fulham also being named as potential suitors, although they are seemingly yet to make any formal moves.
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It appears as though the Eagles are more advanced than their Premier League rivals in their pursuit of the Atletico ace, having already entered discussions to sign the 31-year-old, with Glasner keen to wrap up a lot of his transfer business early this summer.
"True gladiator" Mandava could be shrewd signing
The report states the Atletico defender is being targeted to provide competition for Tyrick Mitchell at left-back, and there are certainly indications he would be able to do exactly that, given his experience at the top level.
The left-back has made 25 appearances in the Champions League, while also featuring regularly for Atletico in La Liga over the past four seasons, indicating he could be a solid back-up option for Mitchell at the very least.
Average per 90
Tyrick Mitchell
Reinildo Mandava
Assists
0.15
0
Tackles
2.65
2.13
Blocks
1.98
0.96
Clearances
3.14
2.82
Lauded as a “true gladiator” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Mandava is an experienced defender, who could provide depth heading into a congested 2024-25 campaign, given qualification for the Europa League, but Mitchell has proven himself as more of a well-rounded full-back over the past year.
