Crystal Palace extend Nathan Ferguson’s contract despite miserable injury record
Exclusive: Roy Hodgson is determined to see the young defender overcome his fitness woes
Ferguson has been plagued by injuries since joining Palace from West Brom in 2020.
But Palace believe the 22-year-old can finally overcome his injury nightmare.
Ferguson has made just one substitute appearance for Palace after suffering major Achilles and hamstring issues.
Roy Hodgson was present as Ferguson signed a new contract, after the 75-year-old decided to stay on as manager at Selhurst Park next season.
Palace were already planning to keep Ferguson next season but his contract renewal came with Hodgson’s backing.
The Eagles are anxiously waiting to see whether Wilfried Zaha will accept their offer of a new £200,000-a-week offer, with his current deal to expire on Friday.
The 30-year-old has had an offer from Al-Nassr, while AC Milan and Atletico Madrid have also expressed an interest in signing him this summer.
Zaha is expected to turn down a move to Saudi Arabia to remain in Europe.
Read more; JUST IN: Crystal Palace has confirmed the signing of ‘unbelievable’ player from…….
Crystal Palace now want to sign Everton’s ‘unbelievable’ Demarai Gray this summer
Crystal Palace now want to sign Everton attacker Demarai Gray this summer as the Jamaican international looks set to leave Goodison Park.
The ‘Unbelievable’ player joined the Blues in a £1.7m deal from German side Bayer Leverkusen back in 2021 but his two-year stay on Merseyside appears to be coming to an end
The 26-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, joining the exodus of Premier League talent moving to the region.
However, as per the Daily Mail, Premier League side Crystal Palace also see Gray as a potential target this summer as they look to strengthen their attacking options.
Indeed, Roy Hodgson’s side are also interested in one-time Everton transfer target Arnaut Danjuma, whose January loan move to the Toffees fell through.
Gray sale could bring Everton a decent fee for reinvestment
Demarai Gray scored six goals in 36 games in all competitions for Everton last season, contributing one assist as the Blues escaped relegation on the final day of the campaign.
A regular starter under previous manager Frank Lampard, Gray fell out of favour with Sean Dyche, and was named on the bench in five of the 18 games following his January appointment.
Indeed, when Gray did feature, he was often deployed as a makeshift centre-forward with Everton’s options in that area scarce for much of the season.
His pace and creativity have made him a hit at times at Goodison Park, as he has become renowned for spectacular long-range strikes, such as his goal in December’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City.
However, his inconsistency can be frustrating and if Dyche doesn’t fancy the 26-year-old, then now might be the right time to move him on, with just a year left on his current deal.
Al-Hilal would likely pay a higher fee than Crystal Palace, so no doubt Everton would prefer Gray made the move to Saudi Arabia.
