Crystal Palace have an apparent defensive emptiness to fill after Maxence Lacroix accomplished a £52 million transfer to Chelsea.
The France worldwide turned a significant a part of Palace’s current success after becoming a member of from Wolfsburg for round £18 million in 2024.
Lacroix helped the Eagles win the FA Cup throughout his first season earlier than making 55 appearances final time period as they lifted the Convention League.
His tempo and confidence defending massive areas have been significantly vital inside Oliver Glasner’s again three.
Palace have made a considerable revenue, however changing a defender who understood their system and proved himself within the Premier League won’t be easy.
That activity falls partly to Pierre Sage, who changed Glasner as head coach this summer season.
The previous Lyon and Lens supervisor has inherited a squad getting ready for Europa League soccer, rising the significance of depth throughout the defence.
Takehiro Tomiyasu has been coaching with Palace throughout pre-season, though stories recommend no contract negotiations have taken place with the free agent.
A transfer for Augsburg defender Chrislain Matsima has additionally been explored, and he apparently agreed private phrases, however talks have been abrutly halted and have been referred to as off after either side failed to search out an settlement.
Odilon Kossounou is one other attainable answer and has been linked with Palace earlier than.
Stories in December claimed the Eagles have been monitoring him whereas getting ready for the attainable departure of Marc Guehi.
The Ivory Coast worldwide has the expertise and flexibility wanted to assist fill the hole now left by Lacroix.
Kossounou started his senior profession in Sweden with Hammarby after growing at ASEC Mimosas. His progress continued at Membership Brugge, the place he received two Belgian league titles earlier than becoming a member of Bayer Leverkusen in 2021.
The 25-year-old was a part of Xabi Alonso’s excellent Leverkusen squad throughout that excellent 2023/24 marketing campaign. Leverkusen accomplished an unbeaten home double, whereas Kossounou made 34 appearances throughout all competitions.
That season additionally introduced worldwide success.
Kossounou began three matches because the Ivory Coast recovered from a disastrous group stage to win the Africa Cup of Nations on dwelling soil.
He moved to Atalanta on mortgage in August 2024 and initially tailored effectively to Gian Piero Gasperini’s three-man defence. Kossounou made 23 appearances throughout his first season in Bergamo, together with 4 within the Champions League.
Nevertheless, his marketing campaign was interrupted in January when he required surgical procedure on a tendon damage in his proper adductor.
Atalanta have been nonetheless sufficiently impressed to make the switch everlasting, however final season proved much less convincing.
Kossounou appeared 19 instances in Serie A, beginning 10 of them, however minor muscular issues disrupted his rhythm, together with a problem in October and a thigh damage that dominated him out of Atalanta’s last two league fixtures.
Crystal Palace ‘severe’ about signing Odilon Kossounou
Nonetheless, Tutto Atalanta now stories that Palace have made a ‘severe’ enquiry about his scenario.
The Italian outlet claims Newcastle have additionally confirmed curiosity in current weeks, however Palace are the newest English membership to think about a transfer.
Atalanta’s place will reportedly depend upon new supervisor Maurizio Sarri, who should resolve whether or not Kossounou fits his deliberate four-man defence.
The report provides that Atalanta may use the proceeds from a sale to fund additional recruitment, with Alessio Romagnoli among the many defenders they’ve monitored.
Palace possess the monetary room to behave following Lacroix’s costly departure.
Kossounou would offer major-league, European and worldwide expertise with out being considerably older than the participant he may exchange.
Nevertheless, his current accidents and inconsistent minutes imply he shouldn’t mechanically be offered as a assured alternative.
