Though Oliver Glasner‘s declaration that he would leave Crystal Palace at the end of the season has caused plenty of disruption, there is at least clarity at Selhurst Park.
In fairness, the ship has steadied in recent weeks, with Palace no longer casting nervous looks over their shoulder at the Premier League‘s relegation pack and instead hoping to keep the wins coming and break into European contention.
Furthermore, the Eagles are among the favourites to win the Conference League and make it back-to-back title-winning campaigns under Glasner’s wing.
Why Glasner is leaving Palace
Glasner alienated himself after revealing he would leave and then appearing to criticise Crystal Palace supporters for showing some ambition after their club had defeated Manchester City to lift the FA Cup.
The 51-year-old said he wanted to seek “a new challenge”, and maybe after winning a trophy and leading the south Londoners into Europe he feels he has hit all his targets and then some.
Under Glasner, Palace have conducted shrewd business. There has been more financial swinging power of late, but in truth, he probably overachieved, and his frustrations over departures and a ‘lack of ambition’ from chairman Steve Parish and the powers that be shed light on his decision, especially with Manchester United mooted to be readying an offensive for his signature.
However, the gaffer isn’t the only one who’s going to be leaving this summer. Jean-Philippe Mateta is another. The Austrian’s chief goalscorer since arriving, he nearly signed for AC Milan in a £30m deal last summer, a failed medical scuppering the January switch.
|
Glasner’s Top Scorers at Crystal Palace |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Apps |
Goals |
|
Jean-Philippe Mateta |
93 |
40 |
|
Ismaila Sarr |
76 |
25 |
|
Eberechi Eze |
56 |
20 |
|
Eddie Nketiah |
56 |
11 |
|
Daniel Munoz |
91 |
10 |
With Jorgen Strand Larsen having arrived for a club-record fee in 2026, it makes sense for him to move on, but that might not be the only reshuffle in the final third.
Palace could part with £30m striker
If Glasner offered to sign a new contract, Crystal Palace and many of their supporters would leap at the idea. However, change is probably necessary at this stage.
Who else leaves remains to be seen, but while the likes of Adam Wharton and Ismaila Sarr are crucial parts of the project, it’s perhaps not unfair to suggest that Eddie Nketiah could move on.
It’s curious that Nketiah is Glasner’s fourth-highest scorer at Selhurst Park. After all, he’s faced his fair share of criticism since moving to the club from Arsenal for a £30m fee in 2024.
Nketiah has scored four goals from 19 matches in all competitions this season, two in the Premier League, but he’s been sidelined since December with a thigh injury and hasn’t even been trusted to play a significant role in the Conference League, starting one of his five outings.
For a player who arrived for a pretty penny and was hailed as a “beast” by Mikel Arteta, he probably hasn’t had the desired effect. Strand Larsen, conversely, has hit the ground running this season, and so it looks unlikely that Nketiah will play a starring role next season.
At 26, is the one-cap England international going to want to play second fiddle once again? Palace might need another striker to complement their new Norwegian, but even if Mateta leaves, selling Nketiah too and bringing in a shrewd replacement could be the perfect way to keep things ticking.
Glasner has hinted at a lack of ambition from the club, but by cashing in on Nketiah and moving for a new goalscorer, it would fill the incoming manager with a sense of optimism, confirming that the Eagles are not willing to rest on their laurels after recent successes.
Parish struck gold on Crystal Palace star who’s worth more than Strand Larsen
Crystal Palace appear to have conducted excellent business with the signing of one star.