Over the past few years, Crystal Palace have arguably been one of the most successful Premier League clubs in the transfer market.
Their recruitment strategy has seemingly kept them in the league for a sustained period, but they will hope their latest acquisition, Oliver Glasner, can take them one step further.
Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi, and Joachim Andersen are all examples of absolute bargains, but the Eagles also have had some misses among the hits.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at one player who’s costing the club millions via his wage, even earning more than Guehi.
Marc Guehi’s Salary
The summer of 2021 saw a young, promising centre-half leave Chelsea to join Palace in a deal worth £18m, which looks like an absolute steal today.
Since moving to Selhurst Park, the 23-year-old has developed into one of the most reliable defenders in the division, with his performances earning him the captain’s armband and an international call-up for England.
Unfortunately, the number six is out injured at the moment after being forced off early against Brighton & Hove Albion last month, but he’s still started 22 matches in the league this campaign.
Nonetheless, considering he’s such a vital player for Palace, his wage being at just £50k-per-week seems like an astute piece of business, especially when you consider the impact of one individual who’s earning more.
One of Roy Hodgson's worst signings is burning a wage at Crystal Palace
One of the signings which Roy Hodgson made has been burning a wage since joining Crystal Palace.
ByZak AndertonMar 3, 2024 Jairo Riedewald’s wage at Palace
In 2017, 20-year-old Jairo Riedewald moved to Palace for a fee of £7.9m, which saw him play under his former boss Frank de Boer in England.
However, it wasn’t exactly the perfect start to life in England for the Netherlands ace, who started just 11 Premier League games over his first three seasons at the club.
That said, the former Ajax prospect did feature far more heavily in the 2020/21 campaign, where he played 33 top-flight matches at the heart of the Eagles midfield.
Fast forward to this season, and he’s started just twice, which is his best run of starts in three years, with his total tally in the Premier League being just three starts in the last three seasons.
But the biggest concern surrounding Riedewald is his wage, which sees him earn £55k per week, which is higher than Guehi, equating to £2.9m per season.
Olise, Henderson, Eze
£100k
Edouard
£90k
Clyne, Andersen
£80k
Lerma, Doucoure
£70k
Riedewald, Richards
£55k
As can be seen in the table above, this puts him not far off the top earners in the Palace squad, and considering his lack of minutes, it’s fair to say that he’s simply rinsing the club.
Having said that, with the number 44’s contract set to expire in June this year, it seems that Riedewald will be on his way out of the club for good, with Glasner expected to let him walk for free.
Nevertheless, it’s clear that the signing of the versatile Dutch player has been nothing short of a disaster, with him failing to impress under any manager since 2017.
