Crystal Palace were set to sign Reading’s Michael Hector but Chelsea gazumped them at the eleventh hour, the Daily Mail reports.
Chelsea signed the 23-year-old for £4.5 million on deadline day and have immediately loaned the defender back to The Royals for the rest of the season.
But Crystal Palace co-chairman Steve Parish said a deal between Hector and the Eagles had been agreed:
“We had a deal for Michael Hector at Reading – that was a done deal and we thought we had that one,” Parish told Holmesdale Radio.
“Unfortunately the might of Chelsea came in and the player chose to go there, so at least we’re getting the right targets.”
Hector, has been at the Berkshire club since 2009, has earned six caps for Jamaica and was part of his national team’s squads for the Copa America in Chile and Gold Cup in the United States earlier this year. Hector graduated from Reading’s youth academy six years ago, and has had a large number of loan spells away since. However, he featured regularly for The Royals last year, earning his move to Stamford Bridge.
Palace were believed to be in the market for a centre-half during the summer but didn’t bring anybody in to bolster that area, although Scott Dann did sign a new five-year-contract this summer.
