Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has expressed his shock and surprise that none of the Premier League’s “Big Six” clubs made a move for Eberechi Eze during the summer transfer window, Soccernet.football reports.
The 26-year-old England international, who had a £60 million release clause in his contract, was expected to attract significant interest from top clubs like Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Tottenham.
Despite his stellar performances for Palace and his contributions at Euro 2024, where he made three substitute appearances for England, the anticipated bids never materialised.
In an interview with SkySports, Parish couldn’t hide his astonishment: “I was really worried from a club point of view of losing Michael and Ebbs in the same window, and we didn’t have in Ebbs the interest that I thought we would have. I was astounded. Genuinely astounded. I mean, the guy’s just an outstanding footballer, an outstanding person.”
Eze’s impressive form last season, coupled with his international appearances, made him one of the most exciting talents in the Premier League.
Yet, despite rumours of a potential £68 million deal late in the transfer window, no concrete offers were made, leaving Parish and many others puzzled.
Still, the summer window was a busy one for Palace, with several key players attracting attention from other clubs.
Marc Guehi, one of the most sought-after, was the subject of a £65 million bid from Newcastle United.
However, Palace decided against selling both Guehi and Joachim Andersen in the same window, especially after accepting a bid for Andersen and dealing with an injury to Chadi Riad.
Parish explained the situation: “Maybe we thought at the beginning it’d be more likely that Marc Guehi went and we kept Joachim Andersen. We accepted that bid [for Andersen], which then made it very difficult really to sell both of our starting centre-backs in one window.”
Reflecting on the club’s ambitions, Parish acknowledged the delicate balance between retaining top talent and allowing players to pursue their dreams of playing in the Champions League:
“We want to be selling to the top clubs, or to clubs like Newcastle who’ve got great aspirations and have recently been in the Champions League. We want to be playing in the Champions League. The reality is we don’t right now. That’s what players want to achieve in their career, and we respect that.”
Crystal Palace fans, who have seen their team struggle with just one point from their opening three matches, will likely be relieved that key players like Eze and Guehi remain at Selhurst Park, hoping they can help turn the season around.
