Crystal Palace has put around €85 million on the table to strengthen this summer with the arrivals of Dwight McNeil, Anan Khalali, Quinten Timber, Dario Osorio and Zavier Gozo. A recruitment campaign which satisfied the new strong man of the Eagles, Pierre Sage. “Yes in the end we were expecting some players and they arrived late, but we are happy with the players we recruited. We missed one. »
This player he misses is of course Malick Fofana. Star of the last day of the transfer window, the Belgian winger from Olympique Lyonnais had a completely crazy day. Pushed towards the exit by Gones forced to sell to replenish their funds, the Red Devil first thought of going to Arsenal, then to Sunderland, then to Crystal Palace to finally commit to Sunderland in exchange for €40 million (bonus included). Beaten to the post by the Black Cats, Pierre Sage necessarily counted on his shared Lyon past with Fofana to attract him. In vain. But the French coach doesn’t blame him.
Sage respects Fofana’s choice
“We did our best in this situation and I wish him well. He’s a good guy and a good player. Yes, I have a special relationship with former players, but I have to respect the fact that he is no longer with us and respect his decision. Everything depended on the evolution over the minutes, the situation evolved a lot. I’m really proud and happy within this club, we fought a lot. Sometimes you can’t do more. We gave the best of ourselves. At the end of the day, the player chose according to his own criteria and I wish him and them (Sunderland) the best because he’s a good guy and a good player. We have a special relationship with former players, but I now have to accept the fact that he is no longer with us. I have to respect his decision”he confided, before adding that Fofana had not explained his choice to him. “No, he just gave me his answer late in the evening. It’s not important to know. »
On the other hand, Sage will have to manage a more complex case, that of Ismaïla Sarr. The Senegalese winger was courted by Al-Hilal, before being the target of Liverpool during the last days of the transfer window. We also revealed to you that the former Marseillais had communicated to the managers of Palace his desire to join the banks of the Mersey. In the end, Sarr did not leave and Sage will have to fight to restore morale to one of the big losers of this 2026 summer transfer window. “As in any difficult situation, time takes its course and we need time for that. He needs time too. First of all, he needs to get better, because he was injured and still is. He is our player and that satisfies us. He must certainly digest all this, because it is a dream for many players to play in this kind of club. He had a great opportunity, but in the end, it didn’t work out. If he wants to continue, he will have to have a good season with us, like he did last year. We know he needs time”he said, before concluding by responding to the acid output of the player’s agent. “I don’t really agree with this position. I just want to say that the club and the people here are respectful, and that we want the best for our club and our players. »
