Crystal Palace often treat young players admirably.
In 2022, Steve Parish ensured Crystal Palace became the first club in English football history to provide a three-year aftercare programme for those released from the academy, to help them find a new path.
The Eagles also memorably gave Nathan Ferguson a new one-year deal back in 2023 to support him in his recovery from injury, despite the defender only managing eight minutes of football in three years.
While acts like this make Crystal Palace an admirable club, the manner in which Jesurun Rak-Sakyi has been treated is incredibly disappointing.
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi in limbo as Crystal Palace seem to have forgotten about him
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In the summer of 2024, the England U21 international was hot property.
Chris Wilder actually revealed that most of the Championship wanted to sign Rak-Sakyi, and there were even two bids worth £15m put on the table.
The 57-year-old said: “There were two £15m bids for him, and three-quarters of the Championship in for him as well… he’s going to be a player.”
Rak-Sakyi started strongly at Sheffield United, scoring four Championship goals before December, but ultimately fell out of favour under Wilder, not even making the bench for the play-off final defeat against Sunderland.
Now, the 22-year-old can’t even get a start in the Premier League 2, watching on as an unused substitute as the Crystal Palace U21 side recently beat Tottenham’s U21s by a 3-2 scoreline.
This is not so he could be available for Glasner either, as the Austrian overlooked the Crystal Palace academy graduate for his squad in the 3-0 win over Aston Villa last time out.
Crystal Palace are now highly unlikely to receive a bid anywhere close to £15m for Rak-Sakyi as his stock falls.
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi situation needs to be sorted ASAP
Even more alarmingly, Crystal Palace failed to either sell or loan Rak-Sakyi during the summer transfer window just gone, despite interest from Rangers and some Championship clubs.
It means the man born in Southwark will have to waste another six months of his development due to indecisiveness at Selhurst Park.
Not only that, but Rak-Sakyi, who Dean Holden called a “phenomenal player” after a stunning loan spell at Charlton in the 2022/23 season, will only have 18 months left on his contract when January rolls around.
It means clubs are even less likely to offer £15m for the Londoner, as he should be available for a bargain sum if it reaches a point where he only has 12 months left on his deal next summer.
It once seemed like Crystal Palace either had another Wilfried Zaha emerging or a welcome chunk of cash, but the crude mismanagement of Rak-Sakyi means neither of these are likely at the moment.