Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has issued a clear demand for the club to back him with new signings in the January transfer window, with a creative attacker being the top priority. The Austrian's future at Selhurst Park remains uncertain, but decisive action in the market could persuade him to stay beyond the end of the season.
The £35m Tottenham target that could slip away
The Eagles have been strongly linked with a move for Tottenham Hotspur forward Brennan Johnson, with a fee in the region of £35 million being discussed. The Welsh international has found game time limited following the arrival of Mohammed Kudus, potentially making him available.
However, Crystal Palace face stiff competition. Both Aston Villa and AFC Bournemouth are also monitoring the situation. Villa can offer a title challenge and Champions League football, while Bournemouth hold a potential bargaining chip as Spurs are interested in their striker, Antoine Semenyo. This leaves Palace realistically as third in the queue for Johnson's signature.
A pragmatic alternative: The Villa 'flop' ready for a revival
With a drawn-out and likely unsuccessful saga for Johnson a distinct risk, a more level-headed approach is required. The solution could lie with one of the players currently struggling at Villa Park: Jadon Sancho.
The 25-year-old winger is on loan at Aston Villa from Manchester United but has managed just 127 minutes of Premier League football this season under Unai Emery. With no pathway back into the Manchester United team under Ruben Amorim, another loan move in January is highly probable.
Despite his struggles in the Midlands, Sancho's pedigree remains. Last season on loan at Chelsea, he contributed five goals and ten assists across all competitions, playing a key role in their Europa Conference League triumph and scoring in the final. His former Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca, publicly credited him for the team's success.
Why Selhurst Park could be the perfect fit
For Crystal Palace, a short-term loan deal for Sancho represents a low-risk, high-reward strategy. He possesses the exact profile of creative, electric wide player they have lacked since the sale of Eberechi Eze to Arsenal.
The move would offer Sancho the regular minutes and confidence that comes from being a focal point in a team, a scenario that could see him thrive as a bigger fish in a smaller pond. For Oliver Glasner, it would provide an immediate injection of quality without the protracted negotiation and excessive cost of the Johnson pursuit.
With the January window critical for Palace's season ambitions, a swift and sensible move for Jadon Sancho could prove far more fruitful than a dream chase they are unlikely to win.
