Crystal Palace Targets Pierre Sage as Iraola Nears Liverpool Move
Crystal Palace’s search for a new head coach has taken a sharp turn, with Lens manager Pierre Sage now moving into focus as talks are lined up for the start of the week.
Palace had pushed hard for Andoni Iraola, their clear first choice to succeed Oliver Glasner. The club made a firm proposal to the Bournemouth boss, confident he could be tempted to Selhurst Park after his work on the south coast and his growing reputation in the Premier League.
That plan is now in danger of collapsing.
Iraola is set to begin formal discussions with Liverpool in the coming days as the Conference League winners move quickly to replace Arne Slot, who was sacked on Saturday. With Anfield calling, Palace’s long-cultivated pursuit of the Spaniard looks increasingly unlikely to bear fruit.
So attention has shifted.
Chairman Steve Parish and the Palace hierarchy are now working through a wider list of candidates, determined not to rush a decision that will shape the club’s next phase. The message from the boardroom is clear: the process will be deliberate, not reactive, even as the market begins to move around them.
High on that list sits Sage.
The 47-year-old Lens boss has built a growing reputation as one of Europe’s most promising coaches, catching the eye with his work in France and drawing interest from clubs across the continent. BBC Sport first revealed Palace’s initial move for Sage on 8 May, though at that stage the focus at Selhurst Park remained fixed on prising Iraola away from Bournemouth.
Circumstances have changed. The window for Iraola is closing; the door for Sage is opening.
Sage is understood to be open to the idea of taking charge in south London, and he is expected to meet Palace officials in the coming days. Those talks will give Parish and his team a closer look at a coach whose stock continues to rise and who now finds himself at the centre of a Premier League tug of ambition.
With Iraola edging towards Liverpool and Glasner already out, Palace’s next move will reveal exactly how bold they are prepared to be.
