Crystal Palace ended the season on a high after beating Aston Villa 5-0 on the final day of the season.
The Eagles were teetering on the verge of relegation when Oliver Glaser replaced Roy Hodgson. The club was heading in a downward spiral.
Palace have struggled with injury problems this season, but the manner in which Glasner turned it out is nothing short of remarkable. The Eagles have won six of their last seven games in the Premier League, drawing the other one, as they climbed to 10th in the table.
The summer transfer window will be massive at Selhurst Park. Steve Parish will back the manager with funds in the market as Palace look to add depth and quality to the side.
One of the players who has been “incredible” under Glasner is Jean-Philippe Mateta. The Frenchman is considered an important part of the project, and Palace want to keep him.
The 26-year-old striker struggled to make an impact under Hodgson, but he has found his best form under the new manager. Mateta has scored 16 goals this season and has registered five assists.
Romano, however, thinks that Palace could be open to letting Michael Olise leave. The 22-year-old has been targeted by a host of Premier League clubs, although Glasner is in mood to sell any of his key players.
He wrote: “A player who ended the season in incredible form, I’m sure Crystal Palace want to keep Jean-Philippe Mateta. They of course want to keep Oliver Glasner after his remarkable start as manager, and Mateta is considered an important part of the project for the next season. I don’t think they will sell all of their stars, so Michael Olise is one who could leave but Palace want Mateta to stay.”
Mateta scored a hat-trick in the final game against Villa to bring his tally to a remarkable 13 goals in his past 13 games, and Palace earned an extra £6.2m in prize money for finishing in 10th.
It certainly looks promising for Palace under Glasner but the key will be to keep hold of players like Mateta, Olise, Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze.
Glasner confirmed that he is “very confident” that all these players will stay at the club, despite huge interest from elsewhere. Big clubs are expected to make bids for these players this summer, and it will be interesting to see if Palace can keep the squad together which will help Glasner build a strong platform for next season.
