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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Dom Smith

Crystal Palace transfer guide: Familiar summer ahead as investment needed up front amid potential exits

No Premier League team spent less on new signings this season than Crystal Palace, who invested only around £45m on Cheick Doucoure, Chris Richards and Naouirou Ahamada.

But this could be a busy summer at Selhurst Park and Palace have already moved to sign Jefferson Lerma on a free transfer from Bournemouth.

It remains to be seen whether Roy Hodgson will stay on as manager, and Wilfried Zaha’s future remains uncertain.

Top priority

A striker. Much of Palace’s struggles under Patrick Vieira boiled down to their lack of clinical finishing and a new frontman is key this summer.

Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta managed just seven Premier League goals between them and Palace will look to upgrade on them.

What else they need

Palace have confirmed long-term servants Luka Milivojevic and James McArthur are leaving this summer and they are targeting new midfielders.

The Eagles have already moved to sign Lerma on a free transfer from Bournemouth. The Colombian cost Bournemouth £25m in 2018 and was named their player of the season.

Palace could also be in the market for a new defender, with Marc Guehi a target for Tottenham and Arsenal.

Possible ins

A deal to sign Lerma has been agreed and Palace have been linked number of strikers, including Middlesbrough’s Chuba Akpom and Lyon's Moussa Dembele.

They have also been linked with a move for 18-year-old Gambian striker Adama Bojang, who is currently starring at the Under-20 World Cup, as well as Sunderland duo Ross Stewart and Jack Clarke.

Nice right-back Jordan Lotomba is another player linked with a move to Selhurst Park.

A replacement for Wilfried Zaha may be needed (Getty Images)

Possible outs

Zaha’s future remains uncertain. Palace have offered him a new four-year contract worth £200,000-a-week but he has so far been reluctant to commit to his boyhood club.

Guehi is wanted by Tottenham and Arsenal but Palace are demanding £50m for him, while James Tomkins is out of contract.

Michael Olise has been identified by Paris Saint-Germain as a potential summer target but Palace will be reluctant to lose him and Zaha in the same summer.

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