So the deal is done – veteran Chelsea defender Gary Cahill has made the move to SE25 on a two-year deal.
Along with him comes a wealth of experience – the former Aston Villa and Bolton man has won a highly-respectable total of 61 caps for England, whilst he has won eight notable trophies in his distinguished career, including the Premier League title.
And whilst this is no suggestion that Palace could move for the title, Cahill nonetheless offers a new defensive dynamic to the wider squad.
At Chelsea, his partnership with fellow England and Chelsea legend John Terry saw him serve as a bulwark at the back, a partnership that proved integral to Chelsea’s historic success.
As fans eagerly lap up the news that Cahill now proudly dons the red-and-blue, an altogether more interested dynamic has emerged: have Palace scuppered the transfer plots of several Premier League competitors?
That may well be the case – according to Sky Sports, Cahill was a key figure at the centre of a chain reaction of transfers.
With Harry Maguire having transferred to Manchester United for a world-record fee, Leicester were all but set to use part of the proceeds to fund a move for Burnley’s James Tarkowski. In turn, Burnley were then poised to sign Cahill as a free agent to fill the gap that would emerge.
Instead, Palace have blown a gaping hole in this calculated plan; without Cahill as a potential insurance signing for Burnley’s business, it appears the whole chain may have fallen through.
As such, Sky Sports are now claiming that Leicester are now hunting a loan signing to cover the defensive gap left by Maguire’s departure.
In this view, and with the deadline for incoming transfers arriving at 5pm this Thursday, it appears Palace have conclusively thrown a spanner in the plans of their competitor clubs.
Have Palace unexpectedly added to their advantage in a far more subtle way with Cahill’s signing? That remains to be seen.
