---
title: "Pierre Sage Previews Fulham Clash and Details Crystal Palace Summer Transfers"
canonical: "https://readcrystalpalace.com/2026/09/03/pierre-sage-crystal-palace-summer-transfers-fulham-preview/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Naz Yusuf"
section: "Articles"
published: "2026-09-03T22:30:00Z"
modified: "2026-10-10T21:44:09Z"
---

# Pierre Sage Previews Fulham Clash and Details Crystal Palace Summer Transfers

**Right, let’s talk about squad building, because summer transfer windows are never straightforward, and [Pierre Sage](https://readcrystalpalace.com/2026/09/03/ismaila-sarr-crystal-palace-liverpool-transfer-pierre-sage/) has been left with quite the puzzle to piece together down at Selhurst Park.**

As [Crystal Palace](https://readcrystalpalace.com/tag/crystal-palace/) gear up for a tricky Saturday afternoon trip across the capital to take on Fulham at Craven Cottage, the ink on a frantic deadline day is barely dry. Both sides head into this London derby searching for lift-off after failing to win either of their opening two Premier League fixtures, but the main talking point in South London this week has been all about the fresh faces walking through the door.

Palace managed to scramble four new additions over the line before the window slammed shut, adding to a busy summer of recruitment that has completely reshaped this squad. Dutch midfielder Quinten Timber arrived from Marseille, young Italian centre-back Honest Ahanor joined on loan from Atalanta ahead of a scheduled move to Chelsea in 2027, attacker Darío Osorio arrived on loan from FC Midtjylland, and Ben Chilwell part of that FA Cup-winning squad back in 2025—returned to South London from RC Strasbourg.

Those four deadline-day arrivals join a packed summer influx that already included Dwight McNeil, the returning Evann Guessand, Óscar Mingueza, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Zavier Gozo, Anan Khalaili, and Axel Disasi. It leaves Sage with tactical options right across the pitch, perfectly timed with a UEFA [Europa League](https://readcrystalpalace.com/2026/08/19/crystal-palace-uefa-ticket-allocations-explained-ahead-of-europa-league-campaign/) campaign kicking off against Lech Poznan in exactly two weeks.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of the 15:00 BST showdown at Craven Cottage, the Palace boss gave a detailed breakdown of what his four latest recruits will actually bring to the table.

Detailing the logic behind the defensive additions and squad balance, Sage said:

> ***“(Ahanor) is a centre-back because we need one, especially a lefty, and it’s a young player with a lot of perspective. I think, you will see what he’s able to do.”***

He then elaborated on the specific profile of his new arrivals during the broader media briefing:

> ***“Honest \[Ahanor\] the centre-back we signed because we need one, especially a lefty \[left-footed\]. He’s a young player with a lot of perspective. We will see what he is able to do.”***

Midfield dynamism was another clear priority for the Eagles’ coaching staff, particularly when addressing the similar traits of the players already in the building.

Sage explained:

> ***“For Timber, we need this kind of player because we have four players in this department, but they are a little bit similar and we need a player with more legs if you want to project him in the box and be more box to box.”***
>
> He added:
>
> > ***“With \[Quinten\] Timber, we needed this kind of player. We have four players in that position, but they are all similar. He is maybe more box-to-box.”***
>
> In the final third, Palace needed an injection of directness and shooting threat from deep, which prompted the move for Osorio.
>
> Sage noted:
>
> > ***“(On Osorio) We need a player with the speed and this position, and he’s able to shoot from far. He scored a lot of goals like this. Two things will change a little bit our way of playing.”***
>
> And further emphasized:
>
> > ***“For Osorio, we need a player with his speed in this position. He is able to shoot from far and he has scored a lot of goals like this.”***
>
> Then, of course, there is the experienced head of Ben Chilwell coming back into familiar surroundings. Familiarity counts for a lot in football, and Sage is well-acquainted with what the full-back can offer from their battles in France last season.
>
> Sage said of the former Chelsea man:
>
> > ***“And for Ben, he knew the club, he knew the city. I know him because he was one of my opponents, last year with Strasbourg. I like the player. I like the guy. He will give us experience. A really good player. He’s able to play in two positions, wing-back. He played centre-back a lot of time last year, and he will give us a lot of confidence because he’s a happy guy.”***
>
> Reiterating those points later in the press conference, he added:
>
> > ***“And for Ben \[Chilwell\], he knew the club. He knows the city. I know him because he was one of my opponents last year \[at Lens\] with Strasbourg. I like the player. I like the guy. He will give us experience, he’s a really good player. Can play two positions. He can play wing-back, but he played centre-back a lot of the time last year. He will give us a lot of confidence as well, because he is a happy guy.”***
>
> Of course, signing players is only half the battle. Getting them integrated into a cohesive unit while navigating a transition period much like Fulham are experiencing under their new manager Álvaro Arbeloa is the real test. When asked how long it will take for this newly assembled group to truly gel, Sage adopted a pragmatic, case-by-case approach.
>
> Sage stated:
>
> > ***“Sometimes the player is ready because they have already played and trained with their \[former\] club. Sometimes they need the time. It depends on the case. The most important thing is to put in the player who is able to win. That’s my job, to choose this player.”***
>
> History suggests Palace might just find their footing on enemy territory sooner rather than later. The Eagles have won six of their last ten London derbies away from home, a stat that serves as a useful litmus test for where this squad currently stands.
>
> As the team steps out onto the turf at Craven Cottage, the new era under Sage truly begins to take shape. Whether these late arrivals can hit the ground running will dictate just how far Palace can go this season, both domestically and across Europe.