Crystal Palace are closing in on former Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo as they search for Roy Hodgson’s successor.
What’s the story?
According to Sky Sports, the Eagles have held three days’ worth of talks with the 47-year-old, who is the favourite to fill the Selhurst Park vacancy.
The report claims that Espirito Santo is keen on an immediate return to management following his surprise Molineux departure, and he feels that he has a point to prove.
Fans will be buzzing
Several well-known names have been linked with replacing Hodgson in south London, including Frank Lampard, Eddie Howe and Patrick Vieira, but it seems as though the highly-rated ex-Wolves boss has jumped to the front of the queue.
Espirito Santo impressed throughout his four-year stay with the Midlands outfit, achieving promotion from the Championship, consecutive seventh-place Premier League finishes, a run to the quarter-finals of the Europa League and a place in the FA Cup semi-final.
His impressive work has earned him a healthy reputation in English football, and Palace chairman Steve Parish is evidently amongst the Portuguese manager’s admirers.
If Espirito Santo does take control of the capital club, then he’ll face a daunting first task of rebuilding large sections of the first-team squad.
Over a dozen players are approaching the end of their current contracts with the Eagles, while star man Wilfried Zaha has once again been linked with a move away from his boyhood club amid reported interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Everton.
Therefore, news that an experienced and well-respected figure has held extensive talks with the Palace hierarchy will surely have the club’s supporters buzzing.
Hodgson may have brought a sense of stability and calmness to Selhurst Park during his tenure, but the 73-year-old has hardly left the playing squad in a prosperous position.
Appointing a manager with Premier League experience, a defined playing style and a proven track record would certainly be an astute move by Parish, and the fanbase will be buzzing with this news and they will be urging the Palace chief to get this deal over the line.
And, in other news…Parish must sanction CPFC swoop for “unbelievable” £36m-rated gem who’s “Drogba-esque”