Despite having seemingly secured their Premier League status with Saturday’s 1-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace’s immediate future seems somewhat precarious.
The reason for that huge uncertainty is because a number of contracts, including manager Roy Hodgson’s, are winding down at Selhurst Park.
One of those players who could depart at the end of the campaign is veteran defender Gary Cahill, whose £65k per week deal is set to expire.
Who was Crystal Palace’s Man of the Match against West Brom?
Luka Milivojevic
Christian Benteke
Gary Cahill
Anyone else?
With the former Chelsea centre-back suggesting he is “relaxed” about his future, the Eagles have to employ some urgency and commit him to a new contract.
Since arriving at Selhurst Park ahead of the 2019/20 campaign, Cahill has been one of the first names on the Crystal Palace teamsheet. He has played 41 matches for the club, usually being selected alongside either Cheikhou Kouyate, Mamadou Sakho, James Tomkins or Scott Dann.
His huge Premier League experience has evidently come in massively useful as Palace attempt to steer themselves away from relegation each campaign.
Even Eagles boss Roy Hodgson seems like he would be loathed to lose Cahill come the end of the season, labelling the defender as the “best type of leader”.
It seems baffling then that they would cut adrift a player with such knowledge of the division.
With both Sakho and Dann also out of contract at the end of the campaign, letting Cahill also go would really restrict Palace’s options at centre-back.
That would surely lead the club into the transfer market, where they’d likely end up spending a considerable fee on another option when they already had one at the club.
In order to overcome the precarious position that they find themselves in, it is key that Palace agree a new deal with Cahill sooner rather than later. They will need to sign replacements for Sakho and Dann, having to sign three centre-backs in one summer would be a huge challenge, one Palace could do without.
AND in more news, read more on why it would be hugely damaging for Palace to sell one of their current stars…