Crystal Palace co-owner and chairman Steve Parish says he is currently in the process of rewarding several players for what they’ve achieved this season.
Steve Parish said: “We don’t comment on individual players but Michael’s had a great first season. He’s really happy here and obviously when you get young players sometimes you look to amend things early to reward them for the things they’ve done. There are a number of those types of conversations going on with different players and it’s always about doing the right thing early. I think that’s important in football, that you don’t hang around and wait until events overtake you. You try and get out in front of those events and deal with things. There’s a lot of stuff like that going on.”
One deal that Parish and co got completed early was tying down striker Jean-Philippe Mateta to a permanent deal at the club six months before his loan from German side Mainz was due to expire. The Frenchman signed a contract until 2026 with the club after forcing his way into Vieira’s starting XI and becoming his first-choice for the second half of the season. That deal mirrors how the club are acting early on several other players and putting faith in their abilities before other teams come looking. That won’t always be the best tactic and there will be a nuance in how each deal is put together, but it shows how Palace are keeping track of their players and what they think they can offer in the future.
Steve Parish added: “You have seen how people like Jean-Philippe have grown this season. He is a fantastic story and doesn’t get enough mention. If we are honest, when he first arrived probably people were unsure but he has worked so hard and makes the best of every attribute he has got. His attitude on the pitch, any footballer who wants to watch somebody who has always got a positive mental attitude on the pitch and is encouraging people, spurring people on, keeps running and trying, he is a model professional. He does loads of extra work, is always looking to improve himself.”
