- Crystal Palace shortlist Oliver Glasner replacements
- Ex-Chelsea and Manchester United managers included
- Most come with Premier League experience
Crystal Palace are ramping up their managerial hunt as Oliver Glasner heads into the final two months of his contract at Selhurst Park.
The FA Cup 2025 winners are yet to pick their next manager, but have now narrowed their search. They have three free agents on their five-man shortlist, while two coaches are still in jobs and will need to be bought out of their contracts.
The South Londoners have known for months that Glasner was leaving at the end of the season following the expiry of his contract. Here are the five managers who are reportedly in the running this summer, per TEAMtalk.
1 – Andoni Iraola (AFC Bournemouth)
Andoni Iraola is currently at AFC Bournemouth, but in a very similar boat to Glasner. The Spanish manager has announced he will leave The Vitality at the end of the season and become a free agent in the summer.
Palace have him at the top of their wishlist but face competition from Chelsea, Athletic Bilbao, and Manchester United. All three clubs are admirers of the 43-year-old, who has impressed on the South Coast, showing his tactical versatility and flexibility with formations based on opponents and in-match situations.
2 – Frank Lampard (Coventry City)
Frank Lampard has had three stints in the Premier League, with mixed results. His first came at Chelsea, where he started well, with a top-four finish and an FA Cup runners-up medal, but things went south soon after.
The former England midfielder did well to help Everton survive relegation, but that too ended less than a year later, when he was sacked after a poor run. He returned to Stamford Bridge as an interim coach and finished with one of the worst managerial records, winning just one and losing eight of his 11 games.
Lampard has rebuilt his reputation down in the EFL Championship and guided Coventry City to the title this season. He is now in the running for the Palace job, but Coventry owner Doug King believes the manager will remain at the club for their first season in the Premier League after 25 years.
3 – Ruben Amorim (Free Agent)
Ruben Amorim has been a free agent since January this year following his sacking at Manchester United. The Portuguese manager was linked with a return to Sporting CP, but he has not returned to management.
The 41-year-old was on West Ham and Chelsea’s radars before he took the Old Trafford job, which turned out to be more challenging than expected. He started reshaping the squad, but his stubbornness with formations and tactics eventually cost him the job, as results made him the Premier League’s worst coach in history.
Amorim is the latest name to be eyed by the Eagles, but his potential appointment would divide opinion. Fans are split over the Portuguese tactician being a good fit at Selhurst Park.
4 – Robbie Keane (Ferencváros)
Robbie Keane is the manager with the least amount of Premier League experience in the shortlist. The former Tottenham Hotspur striker is currently in charge of Hungarian club Ferencváros, and has earned major plaudits, guiding them to the title league title.
The Irishman has taken charge of 77 matches, winning 47 and losing just 16 times. Appointing him would be a gamble for the Eagles, as he has only worked as an assistant manager in the English top-flight and hasn’t even tried himself in senior management in England.
5 – Thomas Frank (Free Agent)
Thomas Frank has taken a massive hit to his reputation after this season’s Tottenham stint. The Dane was one of the most sought-after coaches during his time at Brentford, having shown qualities that suggested he would become a top coach.
However, his time in North London was cut short mid-season, and he is currently a free agent. To make things worse for the Danish coach, the Bees have improved without him and are close to securing a place in the UEFA Europa League next season.
All Five Tick Boxes
One thing common among the five managers is that they all like using the three at the back formation, in some form, which would suggest that the club are looking to build on from the foundation laid by Oliver Glasner instead of digging it all up and starting fresh.
