Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner’s contract expires at the end of the season and he will be available for free, but Manchester United have identified him as their first choice as Ruben Amorim’s long-term successor.
Oliver Glassner will “intensify negotiations” on a new contract with Crystal Palace this month before making a “final decision” on his future. However, the Austrian insists a long-term deal does not guarantee him staying at the club, and claimed record-setter Brennan Johnson could be sold for a “huge fee” this summer.
Glasner, who led the Eagles to FA Cup glory last year, is attracting the attention of Manchester United as his contract expires at the end of the season and he is free to play.
The Europa League winner with Eintracht Frankfurt is a proven winner and has excellent communication skills. He has also introduced a variation of the 3-4-3 system used by Ruben Amorim at the south London club, but whether that will be of benefit to the Old Trafford club and their fans is currently up for debate. Palace are also without a win in seven official games.
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Glasner claimed before Christmas that he did not have time to negotiate a contract due to Palace’s busy fixture schedule (eight games in December).
But ahead of Wednesday night’s game against Aston Villa, the Eagles manager said: “I think we’ll intensify negotiations over the next few weeks. Macclesfield and Friday, we’ll go north again. Then after Macclesfield we’ll all get three days off. After that we’ll have to aim for the normal four weeks. We’ll intensify negotiations over those weeks and hopefully a final decision will be taken.”
Glasner, who replaced Roy Hodgson in February 2024, is the eighth longest-serving manager in the top flight. And he is relaxed about putting pen to paper and being associated with the Manchester United job.
In a 51-minute press conference yesterday, the 51-year-old said: “There has been speculation since I arrived. So, believe me, I don’t really care about that. I can sign today, or a player can sign an extension today and leave in the summer. So for me, contract terms in this day and age say nothing about the future.”
“How long does Brennan’s contract last? Four-and-a-half years? So even if you sign a four-year contract, you can’t expect to be with the same manager all the time, to be honest. I think that’s why players never sign just for the manager, they sign for the club, for the vision of the club. That’s not Oliver Glasner.”
“Obviously you would want to hear from the actual manager, but that doesn’t mean this situation will last forever.
“I’ve talked to Brennan, but let’s be honest, let’s just talk about our situation. Brennan signs now, scores now, scores 12 goals by the summer, a big club comes, they pay a big fee and he leaves. And I sign a new contract and I can’t say, ‘We’ve talked, you know, we’ve been working together for three years, why aren’t you staying?’
Glassner had previously complained about Palace’s slow acquisition business, but Johnson was signed for £35m at the start of the January window.
The south London club have sold Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze over the past two summers and are set to lose captain Marc Ghehi either in January this year or at the end of the season.
After winning Palace’s first major trophy and entering the UEFA Conference League, it is debatable what more Glasner can achieve at Selhurst Park.
But the Austrian said: “Trust me, whatever happens in the transfer market has no influence on my decision, nothing. In either direction.”
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