Crystal Palace have been approached by Club Brugge over Romain Esse, leaving Pierre Sage with a decision to make on the 21-year-old winger before the transfer window closes.
Esse has returned to Selhurst Park following a productive loan spell with Coventry City last season, but fresh interest from Belgium could now test Palace’s plans for him.
Romain Esse Crystal Palace transfer decision becomes interesting
Palace invested heavily in Esse when they signed him from Millwall in January 2025.
The Premier League confirmed that Palace brought the winger to Selhurst Park on a long-term contract, while reports at the time placed the initial fee at around £12million.
Regular first-team football proved difficult to find, however, and Palace sent him to Coventry for the second half of last season.
ReadCrystalPalace previously examined Esse’s successful spell with the Championship winners, where the youngster gained valuable senior minutes during Coventry’s promotion campaign.
He has since returned to Palace and featured during Pierre Sage’s pre-season programme, although competition for attacking places remains significant.
That makes Club Brugge’s approach worth considering.
Palace have Romain Esse under contract until 2030, so there is little pressure to sell. Equally, another season without regular minutes could slow the development of a player who still has considerable potential.
The Belgian side could offer European football and a clearer pathway into the starting XI, but Palace must decide whether they would rather continue developing Esse themselves.
No agreement has been reported and Romain Esse Crystal Palace transfer talks remain at the contact stage.
Still, with Club Brugge now making their interest known, Esse has become another player whose future could move quickly during the closing weeks of the window.
