Crystal Palace’s search for Oliver Glasner’s replacement has moved into a new phase. Pierre Sage is set for talks, while Andoni Iraola is edging toward Liverpool, and Palace are still weighing a number of options rather than forcing a quick call.

Why Sage has moved into the frame

BBC Sport reported that Lens manager Pierre Sage is set to hold talks with Crystal Palace as the Premier League club look to appoint Glasner’s replacement. That puts Sage in a much stronger position than a fallback name. He took over at Lens in June last year and led them to a second-place finish in Ligue 1, before they beat Nice to win the Coupe de France for the first time in their 120-year history.

Those are the sort of markers Palace will care about. They want a manager who can handle pressure, build something stable and work within a search that is not being rushed. Palace’s last five league results, DLDLL, hardly suggest a club in a position to gamble on convenience.

Where Palace stand now

The same report says Palace are set for disappointment in their efforts to land first-choice candidate Andoni Iraola, who is expected to begin formal talks with Liverpool in the coming days. That is the opening Sage has walked into, but it is not the same as Palace signing him, and it does not mean the search is over.

Palace sit 15th in the Premier League with 45 points from 37 games, which explains the caution. This is a stability decision. They are not chasing a grand rebuild, just the next manager who can steady the team and handle the demands already on the table.

If Palace do end up moving for Sage, the case will rest on the kind of work he has already done at Lens. Second in Ligue 1 and a cup winner in the same spell is a decent calling card, and it is enough to make him look like a serious option, not just a name on a list. The club’s next move will tell the story quickly enough, but for now the key point is simple: Palace are still searching, and Sage is now firmly in that search.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →