Crystal Palace enter the January transfer window in obvious need of reinforcements.
Their small squad is not used to the rigours of regularly playing twice a week and they are finding it a challenge with such a packed schedule of matches.
Manager Oliver Glasner is confident of new arrivals, and with injuries and other absences, that is an absolute necessity to ensure players remain fit, available and in their best form.
There will be an element of caution and Palace will not splurge lavishly, but chairman Steve Parish is conscious too that more players were needed in the summer and that needs to be rectified in January.
What is the manager’s priority?
To bring in ready-made attackers who can slot almost seamlessly into the squad. Glasner is clear about what is required and has said as much recently.
“I’m pretty sure we will have one or two signings in January,” he said after the 2-2 draw with KuPS in the UEFA Conference League. “The club is working really hard to get these deals done.”
What positions will they be looking at in January?
Palace are looking to bring in attacking players. Glasner has made clear that he is looking to add firepower and cover in those positions.
Daichi Kamada’s injury sustained against Manchester City earlier this month means he will be absent until at least the middle of February, while Ismaila Sarr may be with Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations until late in January as they are expected to progress far in the tournament.
That leaves Palace struggling to fill the No 10 roles and lacking cover. Romain Esse is not especially trusted and Christantus Uche still has a way to go before he is sufficiently convincing; in any case it appears he is preferred as a striker.
Daniel Munoz’s knee injury will mean Palace look at whether to bring in cover at right wing-back.
Ismaila Sarr is likely to miss most of January while away at AFCON (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Which players do they want?
As reported by The Athletic in a dealsheet looking at 2026 as a whole, Palace have looked at several players over recent windows.
Their main target in January is the Tottenham Hotspur forward Brennan Johnson. He would, however, command a significant fee given the £47.5million Spurs paid to sign him from Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2023.
They have also long admired Joe Willock at Newcastle United and given his availability, the midfielder is likely to be of interest once again.
Attacker Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge is an interesting option who they will not have discounted entirely, having previously made an approach for him.
Ismael Doukoure was an option considered in defence over the summer. He impressed against Palace in a Conference League match earlier this month, however, a centre-back is not a likely incoming with the priority elsewhere.
Who will they be looking to sell?
Palace’s squad is razor thin as it is and they have had to call upon young players who ordinarily wouldn’t be involved to make the step up acting as cover.
Marc Guehi might have been on the list of potential departures but Glasner said in his press conference before Palace’s 2-2 draw with KuPS that he expects his captain to stay until the summer, meaning he will leave on a free when his contract expires.
Unless there are absurdly high offers, which seems extremely unlikely, no one, except perhaps midfielder Naouirou Ahamada who is no longer wanted, will leave Palace in the window and they are certainly not eager to actively try to move them on.
Will anyone move out on loan?
It is unlikely. Even the young players who are on the fringes of the first team are not likely to depart temporarily as they are needed. The only possibility is, just as with potential sales, the aforementioned Ahamada.
In other circumstances perhaps Esse might have benefitted from regular minutes and senior training by playing in the Championship, but even if Glasner is not overly keen on him, he is still needed for Palace’s first team in case of further injuries or other absences, even if there are more arrivals.
Could Romain Esse be set for a January loan? (Rob Newell/Getty Images)
Do they need to sell to buy?
No, and they will not sell anyway.
What is their PSR position?
Palace have no concerns regarding PSR, especially having sold Eberechi Eze to Arsenal in the summer for £60million, and have always been careful to avoid overspending.
What sort of budget do they have?
They enter January’s window with the finances to make additions to the squad, something they are desperate to do.
“How can I make sure everyone is on a journey with me and doesn’t feel like all I do is ring them up for money when something goes wrong,” chairman Steve Parish said in an interview with The Athletic earlier this month, while also conceding that the club had not sufficiently strengthened in the summer.
“We do that by restraining some things. We have to be smarter than the opposition or take a risk they don’t take. Maybe sometimes it’s (using) a slightly smaller squad.
“We don’t have unlimited money and we are where we are at this moment. We’re outperforming and want to continue. We have to think how to do that.
“With Ismaila going to AFCON and the number of games and competitions we’re still in and with the fact that we’re not finding help from places we thought we might have that maybe we need to do something in January if we can.”
If they don’t make any signings, will they be able to achieve their goals this season?
Probably not. Almost certainly not. The squad is not sufficiently large to cope with playing in four competitions and Glasner’s reticence to rotate makes it more of a challenge. Injuries would be more likely to creep in and cause problems, meaning even greater reliance on a core group.
The other factor is that existing players do not have anyone to truly push them for their places in the team, are unable to be taken out after a run of underwhelming form and may therefore, however inadvertently, not perform at the highest level they are capable of doing.