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Crystal Palace have announced the deadline day signing of Derby County teenager Luke Plange. The 19-year-old striker has scored three goals in six starts since making his Rams debut in December and will immediately return to the club on loan for the rest of the season. Speaking with Palace TV,
Luke Plange said: “I’m very excited to be joining a big Premier League club. I’m ready to crack on. Obviously, I’ll be with Derby, fighting for them in the Championship at the moment, but I will be ready to go back to Crystal Palace in the summer and get ready to go.”
Crystal Palace Chairman,
Steve Parish added: “Luke is an exceptionally talented young footballer and one we hope will bring a range of attributes to the club in the years to come. But first, he has an important role to fulfil playing at Derby, and we appreciate his significance to them in their current circumstances. It is less than 12 years ago that our club was in a similar situation – as a result we were determined to ensure both clubs benefit through this deal. Therefore Luke will return on loan for the remainder of the season and help Derby with their important battles on and off the pitch.”
Plange is Palace’s only incoming player of the window, with the club’s only other business being the conversion of Jean-Philippe Mateta’s loan from Mainz into a permanent deal.
