Crystal Palace 2023/24 season preview: Key players, summer transfers, squad numbers & predictions

  • Roy Hodgson is back for another season at the helm
  • Wilfried Zaha finally departed the club
  • Another mid-table finish in store?
Crystal Palace have finally lost talisman Wilfried Zaha
Crystal Palace have finally lost talisman Wilfried Zaha / Matt Burt | 90min
facebooktwitterreddit

After attempting to move in a different direction with Patrick Vieira at the helm, Crystal Palace returned to what they know to get them out of trouble last season.

Eyebrows were raised when Roy Hodgson was re-appointed at Selhurst Park, but the Premier League's oldest-ever manager made light work of guiding the Eagles to safety.

His stellar work convinced the club that Hodgson was the right man to lead Palace into 2023/24, but the 75-year-old will have to do it without longtime talisman Wilfried Zaha, who finally departed the club on a Bosman earlier this summer.

Here's 90min's preview of Crystal Palace's upcoming season.


Crystal Palace's performance last five seasons

Season

Premier League

FA Cup

EFL Cup

2022/23

11th

R3

R3

2021/22

12th

SF

R2

2020/21

14th

R3

R2

2019/20

14th

R3

R2

2018/19

12th

QF

R4


Summer transfers

Ins:

  • Matheus Franca (MF) - Flamengo - £26m
  • Jefferson Lerma (MF) - Bournemouth - free

Outs:

  • Wilfried Zaha (FW) - Galatasaray - free
  • Jack Butland (GK) - Rangers - free
  • Luke Plange (FW) - Carlisle - loan
  • Luka Milivojevic (MF) - released
  • James McArthur (MF) - retired

Squad numbers

*Numbers subject to change before end of transfer window

Number

Name

2

Joel Ward

3

Tyrick Mitchell

5

James Tomkins

6

Marc Guehi

7

Michael Olise

8

Jefferson Lerma

9

Jordan Ayew

10

Eberechi Eze

13

Vicente Guaita

14

Jean-Philippe Mateta

15

Jeffrey Schlupp

16

Joachim Andersen

17

Nathaniel Clyne

19

Will Hughes

21

Sam Johnstone

22

Odsonne Edouard

23

Malcolm Ebiowei

26

Chris Richards

28

Cheick Doucoure

29

Naouirou Ahamada

31

Remi Matthews

32

Jake O'Brien

33

Scott Banks

34

Killian Phillips

36

Nathan Ferguson

38

Tayo Adaramola

41

Joe Whitworth

44

Jairo Riedewald

45

John-Kymani Gordon

47

Jack Wells-Morrison

49

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi

77

David Ozoh

78

Kaden Rodney


Key players

Ebere Eze
Eberechi Eze came on strong down the stretch last season / Gregory Shamus/GettyImages

Star player

With Zaha heading to Turkey, Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise will battle it out to become Palace's leading man. But, considering there are doubts over the latter's future, Eze gets star player status.

The dynamic midfielder came on strong under Hodgson's tutelage last season, with six of his ten Premier League goals arriving in the final 11 games of the season amid Palace's resurgence.

Eze showed signs of developing into a match-winner last season, and he's looked bright in pre-season, scoring a magnificent solo goal against Sevilla.


One to watch

The Eagles haven't yet acquired a direct replacement for Zaha, but they did make a splash in the South American market by signing teenage playmaker Matheus Franca from Flamengo for £26m.

The raw Brazilian has untapped potential in bags and Hodgson may well use him wide left in 2023/24. While he's an attacking midfielder by trade, Franca enjoys drifting out to the left flank, so perhaps Palace view the youngster as someone capable of mitigating Zaha's exit.

It'd be harsh and unrealistic to expect so much out of the 19-year-old during his first season at the club, but Franca's talent suggests he could be an incredibly fun player to watch.


2023/24 kits

Home kit

Rishi Sunak
Reminiscent of Palace's 2013/14 home kit / Peter Nicholls/GettyImages

Away kit

Third kit


Premier League prediction

Palace have made a habit of comfortably avoiding the drop while never truly threatening the top half for the past however many years, and it looks as if 2023/24 will follow a similar pattern.

Hodgson's nous should ensure the Eagles once again emerge in a comfortable position in the bottom half of the table. Although, some might be concerned with their lack of firepower in attack should Olise join Zaha in the departure lounge.

Thus, this prediction could look a little different if Hodgson doesn't have both of last season's starting wingers at his disposal.

Crystal Palace 2023/24 Premier League prediction - 11th


READ MORE OF 90MIN'S SEASON PREVIEWS: A-F

manual


READ MORE OF 90MIN'S SEASON PREVIEWS: L-W

manual