AliousCrystal Palace is on the verge of completing a deal for Millwall winger Romain Esse, with the transfer expected to be finalized in the coming days.
The 19-year-old has become one of the most promising young talents in the Championship over the past year, attracting the attention of several Premier League clubs, including Newcastle United.
However, Newcastle is unlikely to make any major signings until the summer, opening the door for Crystal Palace to move quickly and secure Esse’s services before any other club can intervene.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed the deal on social media, stating, “Romain Esse to Crystal Palace, here we go and story confirmed! The deal is in place with Millwall and the player’s side after talks two weeks ago, now all set for contract signing.
It will happen after medical on Friday with #CPFC, all ready.”
Esse has had an impressive season, making 24 appearances in the Championship, scoring four goals and providing one assist.
Recent reports have indicated that Premier League clubs such as Newcastle, AFC Bournemouth, and Brighton & Hove Albion have shown interest in the player, but Palace has emerged as the frontrunner in the race for his signature.
Millwall manager Alex Neil addressed the interest in Esse, acknowledging that Crystal Palace is one of the clubs pursuing the winger.
He noted, “It has been well-documented. How far down the line that is, I’m not too quite sure. But I think people need to recognise how well we as a club have done by securing Romain on a new contract, which took, by all accounts, a lot of convincing to stay – because he wanted to play football.
He is now playing football and has certainly been one of our best performers this season.”
Neil also acknowledged the reality of the situation, saying that while Millwall does not want to lose their key players, everyone understands the contract circumstances surrounding Esse.
If he does move, Millwall will expect a significant fee, especially considering they could have lost him for free next summer.
Despite not being directly involved in negotiations, Neil confirmed that there has been genuine interest in Esse, which is to be expected when a club has quality players on their roster.
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