Crystal Palace find themselves in limbo as another summer of uncertainty awaits them. The Eagles ended their season on a high with veteran manager Roy Hodgson steering the club to safety in his second spell with the club. The ex-England boss was asked to return to Palace on an interim basis after Patrick Vieira’s sacking back in March, before extending his contract for the 2023-24 Premier League season.

The South London club have spent the summer trying to strengthen their squad in all areas, but have only managed to bring in 2 players so far, a number which could soon rise to 3 however, with the imminent arrival of goalkeeper Dean Henderson from Manchester United. 

Colombian midfielder Jefferson Lerma joined early in the window on a free transfer from Bournemouth, with Brazilian winger Matheus França then joining from Flamengo for a €20m fee. França is seen as a direct replacement for club legend Wilfried Zaha who finally confirmed his departure from his boyhood club when he signed for Galatasarary back in July.

11. Confirmed.

Matheus França 🇧🇷

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) August 20, 2023

Further departures have been rumoured throughout the window, with the likes of Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Cheick Doucouré all being linked with moves to top 6 clubs. The Palace hierarchy have managed to fend off any interest in Olise after the Frenchman signed a contract extension at the club, but keeping hold of all other key assets could prove to  be difficult. 

Chairman Steve Parish may have to look into investing in younger prospects and experienced free agents this summer. Goals are also still a problem for Palace, with plenty of reports suggesting they are looking for a striker before the window is out.

Let’s look at some of the lastest transfer targets for the Eagles. 

Crystal Palace transfer targets summer 2023

Kelechi Iheanacho – Leicester City

Kelechi Iheanacho is a name that will be all too familiar to Palace fans, with the Nigerian striker having scored 5 times against the Eagles in recent years.

A player of such high quality on his day, it is a surprise that he still remains at Leicester City after their relegation to the Championship. However, it seems a number of clubs, including Palace, are interested in bringing the 26 year old back to the Premier League. 

Palace are keen to add a striker with a slightly different profile, and with Jean-Phillipe Mateta looking like to depart Selhurst this summer, Iheanacho would bring a physical presence and is arguably a better finisher than any of the current Eagles forwards. 

Wages and fee could be an issue, with the Foxes obviously preferring the player to stay, but an offer of regular Premier League football could see Palace at the front of the queue for Iheanacho’s signature. 

Adam Wharton – Blackburn Rovers

Another young Championship star is on the rise and is already being looked at by many top level clubs, including Palace. Reports suggest that the Eagles have real interest in Blackburn’s Adam Wharton, a 19 year old midfielder who has ability beyond his years and is already showing signs that he could go to the very top.

Wharton has been at the club since he was 6 years old and has gone through every stage of Rovers academy, before making his first team for his boyhood club back in August 2022. Less than a year later he has become a staple part of the first team squad and is thriving under the pressure. 

Dougie Freedman and the rest of the Palace board have not been afraid to drop down to the Championship to search for future stars, with the success of Eze’s move from QPR being a great example. 

Wharton would be joining a club that is known for player development and with Palace still looking short in certain areas, the Blackburn midfielder could well have a chance of getting some first team minutes. A possible loan back to Blackburn for the remainder of this season could also be a possibility, with that further experience being vital to his development. 

Dario Osorio – UD Chile

The ever experienced Roy Hodgson knows that an ambitious club such as Crystal Palace should look into the future. That’s why we have another youngster, this time Dario Osorio, as a key transfer target the club could look at. 

The Chilean has never tasted European football before. He’s only 19 years old and his entire career has been connected with Universidad de Chile, where Osorio made 38 appearances, scoring eight times.

It’s interesting to know that Dario is considered one of the best young players in his country. As a result, the Chilean prodigy got called up for the national team on two occasions since 2022.

Dario Osorio is a very creative and unorthodox left winger who could definitely add a little bit of magic to Crystal Palace’s style. The loss of Zaha this summer means Palace could do with all the attacking flair they can get. 

Furthermore, his current price tag is set at €3.50m, which is a price Crystal Palace’s board might be willing to pay if Roy Hodgson insists on the signing. However, Palace should be quick on the trigger, as Premier League’s West Ham are just as interested in the 19-year-old’s talents. 

Rumours have it that Crystal Palace are willing to tempt the Chilean side with a £8.0m offer for their starlet, which should be more than enough to secure his services throughout the next couple of years. 

It is clear that Parish is not quite done yet in this transfer window, and with Hodgson also making it clear that more numbers are needed, you can expect the Eagles to be active and engaged in the remaining days of the summer transfer window.