£90,000-a-week Crystal Palace star signed new contract in ‘shock’ transfer deadline day deal

On the busy day of the transfer deadline at Crystal Palace, a lot of business was done, but one deal seems to have gone unnoticed.

Oliver Glasner signed Maxence Lacroix back as his first acquisition before the transfer window closed in an effort to bolster the nucleus of his team.

Eddie Nketiah, a striker, signed a permanent contract with Arsenal for a reported £25 million, with the possibility of a £30 million increase.

With Sam Johnstone departing to sign a permanent contract with Wolves, Matt Turner strengthened the goalkeeping depth at Crystal Palace on loan from Nottingham Forest.

Finally, as the defender seeks regular playing time once more, Chelsea loaned Trevoh Chalobah for the entire season.

On the day of the deadline, Selhurst Park saw a lot of activity, so it’s possible that some people missed an exit that Crystal Palace also confirmed.

Odsonne Edouard signed new contract before Crystal Palace exit

Odsonne Edouard was one of those departures; on transfer deadline day, he signed a season-long loan with Leicester City.

The arrival of Eddie Nketiah and Jean-Philippe Mateta’s commanding play have caused the striker to appear lower in the team’s hierarchy.

In light of this, he decided to transfer to the Foxes in an attempt to increase his playing time in the Premier League while helping his loan team stave off relegation.

But with just a year left on his contract, there were some questions raised about it right before he left. However, according to Alan Nixon’s Patreon post, Odsonne Edouard inked a new contract that will keep him with the team until 2027, thus it was addressed by Crystal Palace.

Although the reporter called the contract a “shock” discovery, it should help prevent the team from losing him on a free agent in the summer.

According to reports on Crystal Palace’s wages, Edouard earns £90,000-a-week, though it remains to be seen if the updated deal impacts that figure.

Why Crystal Palace may have offered Edouard a longer contract

It’s often common practice for teams to offer an extra year on the current deal to players when leaving on loan to help protect their value.

In the case of Edouard though, a three-year deal would take his stay at Copers Cope until 2027, rather than the expected 2026.

The club may have done this to help balance out their own striker ranks, which faced some potential losses over the next year.

Due to the impasse in his contract negotiations with Crystal Palace, Mateta may be able to go on a free transfer the following summer.

If Edouard were to depart within the next year or two, Nketiah would be the sole remaining option at centre forward. Offering the Frenchman three years gives them the security of having a different striker who might be available the following season.

The effect of that will probably depend on Mateta’s future, but right now the forward line is fully supplied.