Crystal Palace are looking towards Pierre Sage as their “ideal” Oliver Glasner replacement, with the Frenchman leading the race for the managerial vacancy in South London.
Yesterday (3 June) it was reported that Sage had informed RC Lens of his desire to leave the club this summer, as he is still contracted until 2028. The 47-year-old has become the top name in the last few weeks in the race to find Glasner’s successor.
The report that Sage had informed Lens of his interest in moving to South London follows on from confirmation that a meeting between Palace and Sage had been held on Monday (1 June), with talks outlining Palace’s project going well.
It now appears Steve Parish and Palace’s ownership are increasingly adamant they have found their man, with the fee of his departure from France to be negotiated.
“Ideal Successor” to Oliver Glasner
According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri the Palace hierarchy has seen Sage as an “ideal successor” to the Austrian who brought the first trophy home to South London.
Tavolieri reports that Palace prefers a structured, school-of-thought style of football and are appreciative of the “academic philosophy of the French,” which Sage suits.
The Frenchman has had a historic season leading RC Lens to their first Coupe de France and finishing second in Ligue 1 with the added bonus of Champions League qualification.
Sage even brought out the success in former Palace striker Odsonne Edouard as he was named Lens’s joint top goalscorer for the season after joining from South London last summer.
Performance over Premier League Experience
Sage’s potential move to South London has been developing more everyday this week. It now appears that Palace’s hierarchy are prioritising a manager with an exciting track record of performance rather than one with Premier League experience, as previously rumoured.
Although Sage might appear as a gamble to some, the risk could pay off, as Palace find themselves in a similar position to when Glasner joined from outside the Premier League and we all know how that ended.
