Crystal Palace end talks with Nuno Espirito Santo

Will Ford
Nuno Espirito Santo Wolves
Nuno Espirito Santo Wolves

Crystal Palace have ended their pursuit of Nuno Espirito Santo amid concerns over his demands.

Palace halted negotiations on Tuesday night, according to the Daily Mail.

Nuno – who left Wolves at the end of the season – reportedly made a series of demands that the club were unwilling to meet.

Palace were hoping to announce Santo within the next couple of days amid concerns that Everton – who are also looking for a new manager following the departure of Carlo Ancelotti – could make a last gasp attempt to lure him to Goodison Park.


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But in the end it’s Palace who have withdrawn from negotiations, with the fact that Wolves finished just one point and one place above them last season said to be a key contribiting factor behind why they refused to meet Nuno’s demands.

Palace want their vacancy filled as a matter of urgency ahead of what will be a summer of significant change and will now explore alternative targets.

Burnley boss Sean Dyche and Swansea’s Steve Cooper are said to be in the frame.

And with Nuno’s move to south London falling through, Everton are now in the clear to negotiate with the 47-year-old.

They would be able to offer him a more substantial transfer budget, which is likely to have been a sticking point in talks with Palace.

The Palace job will be a tough one, with a large number of players out of contract, Eberechi Eze set to be out for an extended spell and Wilfred Zaha once again targeting a move away from the club this summer.

Emmanuel Petit has urged his former club Arsenal to move for the talismanic forward.

“Wilfried Zaha has been repeatedly linked with Arsenal in recent years,” Petit told Paddy Power.

“Arsenal used to play with wingers and guys who could make a difference on the flank, who would take responsibility and show the hunger and desire to get the victory – that was the Arsenal that I knew!

“When I played for Arsenal in the late 90s, we had Marc Overmars, Sylvain Wiltord and Robert Pires – these players were so exciting to watch. Zaha is an unpredictable player, you don’t know what he’s going to do with the ball.

“He’s got a strong character, and sometimes he needs to control of his emotions, but he’s exactly the kind of player Arsenal need. He’d get the fans excited and stimulate his own team-mates too.

“For ages, Arsenal haven’t had a player who could dribble or make a difference with the ball at his feet. With Zaha, they would have somebody capable of taking responsibility and not scared to take on defenders.”