6 minutes ago, markpitts said:

Aren’t we moving the post a bit here? Courtois joined at 19yrs, and was starting for Atletico Madrid a top 3 La Liga team. Penders is 20yrs; and there is an acknowledgment by the club that the longer he stays out on loan, the greater the risk of detachment from his parent club.

He isn’t going to go out on loan for the next 3yrs. Club should have left him out on loan for next season, but as usual they have jumped the gun. The only alternative is to sell low, and attach a buyback + sell on clause.

PS. Where did this sudden love for Diogo Costa come from? We were linked with him 3yrs ago, and everyone said No! Brilliant shot stopper, good with his feet, but bad with catching crosses.

I think they will.

1 hour ago, WhiteWall said:

Same, although i do like Costa.

For me just get the Lacroix deal done as a starting point. It improves us significantly and demonstrates that these clown are physically capable of completing a deal for a grown up.,

Not sold on Lacroix. Find it odd we never tried signing Ake, who left for Fenerbache for £7m, or Akanji who City are trying to sell to Inter for €15m. I just don’t see how Lacroix is more experienced or better than the aforementioned players. I still insist that Lacroix, just like Wharton benefits massively from playing in a 3-4-3 in transition. That Palace side has conceded over 50 goals in the last 3 seasons.

2 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

I think they will.

To where? Unless you are loaning him out to a PL team, you are effectively demoting him. Tell you what, not buying the Diogo Costa rumours. He is another Jorge Mendes client and has been trying to sell him for big money for the last 3 seasons. Last year he was City bound.

4 hours ago, dermott said:

Still nothing more than rumour in the Bologna media.

He has a very nice reel on the you tube. Based on the you tube i would pay a fortune for him.

1 minute ago, markpitts said:

Not sold on Lacroix. Find it odd we never tried signing Ake, who left for Fenerbache for £7m, or Akanji who City are trying to sell to Inter for €15m. I just don’t see how Lacroix is more experienced or better than the aforementioned players. I still insist that Lacroix, just like Wharton benefits massively from playing in a 3-4-3 in transition. That Palace side has conceded over 50 goals in the last 3 seasons.

Because those two are on the obvious decline and made of glass, whereas Lacroix is entering his prime years and never gets injured. There's nothing I've seen from either Wharton or Lacroix personally that suggests they are dependent on a specific system. Many thought Rudiger was only good in a back 3, yet he did very well at Real.

4 minutes ago, markpitts said:

To where? Unless you are loaning him out to a PL team, you are effectively demoting him. Tell you what, not buying the Diogo Costa rumours. He is another Jorge Mendes client and has been trying to sell him for big money for the last 3 seasons. Last year he was City bound.

If Penders is this all-eggs-in-the-basket signing the club have made, I don't see them giving him the Slonina treatment. He needs first team football.

21 minutes ago, TheCeleryKing said:

He has a very nice reel on the you tube. Based on the you tube i would pay a fortune for him.

You haven't seen my reel.

Another one to go on the pure profit books in a few years time.

10 hours ago, dermott said:

You haven't seen my reel.

Please share.

Swear Romano is trying to wind the fan base up. Why announce that?

11 hours ago, dermott said:

You haven't seen my reel.

He said YouTube, not Only Fans

7 hours ago, SydneyChelsea said:

He said YouTube, not Only Fans

I was an innocent until @TheCeleryKing led me there.

3 hours ago, dermott said:

I was an innocent until @TheCeleryKing led me there.

I feel used. is this like Some strange new 'elder abuse' that involves 'grooming' of the elderly?

Thomas Schjelderup hit a cross in a game at the world cup and it became a goal and now £43m is the asking price and Benfica say Chelsea are interested. :eek:

5 hours ago, TheCeleryKing said:

Thomas Schjelderup hit a cross in a game at the world cup and it became a goal and now £43m is the asking price and Benfica say Chelsea are interested. :eek:

Well spotted however our SDs will be fully mugged off by this

On 13/07/2026 at 12:00, Sconnie Blue said:

I can't see how we do both Lacroix and Wharton. Guehi is a prime example of what Palace will do to hold on to a player who wants to leave. Even one of them, at the moment, looks unlikely.

Wharton will require an Enzo sale, which too looks unlikely. Morten Hjulmand has gone to Atletico (no idea why we were never interested); Santos is gone. It's just looking bleak right now. I'll be damned if we go into a 4th straight year with Caicedo carrying bricks for 38 matchweeks.

What odds we dont sign either

43 minutes ago, Caps_Lock_King said:

What odds we dont sign either

Oh, I am well prepared for their briefs come August.

"Quenda and Jackson have impressed Alonso in preseason, and the club are confident they can rejuvenate the squad"

"Lavia has impressed the coaching staff so far, and with the inclusion of Barco the club don't see the value in spending big on an established midfielder"

"Chelsea always felt Como centre back Ramon was their first choice and were merely testing the waters with Lacroix."

"The club felt the inclusion of Pep Chavarría would've hindered the development of Hato"

37 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Oh, I am well prepared for their briefs come August.

"Quenda and Jackson have impressed Alonso in preseason, and the club are confident they can rejuvenate the squad"

"Lavia has impressed the coaching staff so far, and with the inclusion of Barco the club don't see the value in spending big on an established midfielder"

"Chelsea always felt Como centre back Ramon was their first choice and were merely testing the waters with Lacroix."

"The club felt the inclusion of Pep Chavarría would've hindered the development of Hato"

Hmm for the highlighted there is also the possibility of:

"The club felt the returning Axel Disasi to be like a new signings and after his excellent spell at West ham now view him as ideal for Alonsos back 3"

Or:

"Both Benoit Badishille and Wesley Fofana have impressed Xabi Alonso with their all around, mature play in training and the club no longer felt the need to to add further reinforcements in this position"

Or perhaps even:

"Xabi Alonso has been left awestruck by the commanding displays of Tosin, with the new manager now believed to view him as an unsaleable asset and key figure to his backline"

On 13/07/2026 at 14:07, Sconnie Blue said:

If Penders is this all-eggs-in-the-basket signing the club have made, I don't see them giving him the Slonina treatment. He needs first team football.

Speaking of Slonina, he’s apparently ‘on trial’ at Strasbourg with a view to a permanent transfer. Another get out of jail free card transfer.

41 minutes ago, The Boehly Babes said:

Speaking of Slonina, he’s apparently ‘on trial’ at Strasbourg with a view to a permanent transfer. Another get out of jail free card transfer.

The Strasbourg situation is one to keep an eye one. Won’t be surprised if they get relegated. We have ripped out the heart of their team by taking Penders, Barco and to a little extent, Emegha. Diego Moreira has an offer from Roma, and Guela Doue might be Inter bound.

Still can’t wrap my head around the Marco Palestra deal; he has played 1 full season of 1st team football. Guela Doue is more experienced, and metrics look way better. He is more of the plug and play option.

12 hours ago, axman2526 said:

Hmm for the highlighted there is also the possibility of:

"The club felt the returning Axel Disasi to be like a new signings and after his excellent spell at West ham now view him as ideal for Alonsos back 3"

Or:

"Both Benoit Badishille and Wesley Fofana have impressed Xabi Alonso with their all around, mature play in training and the club no longer felt the need to to add further reinforcements in this position"

Or perhaps even:

"Xabi Alonso has been left awestruck by the commanding displays of Tosin, with the new manager now believed to view him as an unsaleable asset and key figure to his backline"

If any statement includes the reintegration of Garnacho we all riot.

On 13/07/2026 at 13:47, markpitts said:

Aren’t we moving the post a bit here? Courtois joined at 19yrs, and was starting for Atletico Madrid a top 3 La Liga team. Penders is 20yrs; and there is an acknowledgment by the club that the longer he stays out on loan, the greater the risk of detachment from his parent club.

He isn’t going to go out on loan for the next 3yrs. Club should have left him out on loan for next season, but as usual they have jumped the gun. The only alternative is to sell low, and attach a buyback + sell on clause.

PS. Where did this sudden love for Diogo Costa come from? We were linked with him 3yrs ago, and everyone said No! Brilliant shot stopper, good with his feet, but bad with catching crosses.

I don't believe I've moved any goal posts. Courtois started for us in the PL when he was 23 and arguably one of the best GK's in the world. Penders is 20 and just had an ok season at Strasbourg. The risk of having him start week in week out is far too high in the PL. Strasbourg for another season then a European level team after that.

8 hours ago, The Boehly Babes said:

Speaking of Slonina, he’s apparently ‘on trial’ at Strasbourg with a view to a permanent transfer. Another get out of jail free card transfer.

This lad was once rated so highly here in the States.

He's wasted 2 years, 1 of which he spent sitting on the bench for 12 months, and now he has to have a "trial" with our sister club.

My goodness.

5 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

This lad was once rated so highly here in the States.

He's wasted 2 years, 1 of which he spent sitting on the bench for 12 months, and now he has to have a "trial" with our sister club.

My goodness.

Had an absolutely hopeless loan at Barnsley, whose fans were glad to see the back of him, and couldn't understand how we'd paid so much money for him LOL.

7 hours ago, markpitts said:

The Strasbourg situation is one to keep an eye one. Won’t be surprised if they get relegated. We have ripped out the heart of their team by taking Penders, Barco and to a little extent, Emegha. Diego Moreira has an offer from Roma, and Guela Doue might be Inter bound.

Still can’t wrap my head around the Marco Palestra deal; he has played 1 full season of 1st team football. Guela Doue is more experienced, and metrics look way better. He is more of the plug and play option.

Strasbourg fans are much like Chelsea in so much as they want the leaches bloodsucking on their club out as well.

7 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

Had an absolutely hopeless loan at Barnsley, whose fans were glad to see the back of him, and couldn't understand how we'd paid so much money for him LOL.

Wasnt any good to start with and was probably all youth hype... players fall off the older they get through their teens... which is why paying 40 million for a youth player is nothing more than buying a lottery scratchcard, one in 4 chance of winning. There I wa thinking paying 16 million for Di Santo all those years ago was stupid money being thrown onto a bonfire.