A 45-year-old has been given the backing by Oliver Glasner to replace Dougie Freedman at Crystal Palace, according to a new report.
Crystal Palace draw up a shortlist to replace Freedman
At the start of this week, the Eagles announced the news that Freedman, who has been at Selhurst Park since 2017, would be leaving his role as the club’s sporting director. The Scotsman has been a big part of Palace’s recent success in the transfer market, so the Premier League side will be keen to ensure they find a suitable replacement.
adam wharton Related
Wharton replacement: Crystal Palace now plotting bid to sign £20m+ player
Crystal Palace could be set to make a move for a Championship midfielder after leaving scouts impressed.
Not long after Freedman’s departure was announced, it was reported that Steve Parish was interested in bringing Iain Moody back to Crystal Palace after he was sporting director between 2013 and 2014.
Moody is not the only name under consideration to replace Freedman, as according to Sky Sports, while Moody is named, Palace are also interested in Kieran Scott of Middlesbrough and Lee Dykes of fellow Premier League team Brentford, in what appeared to be a three-man shortlist.
45 y/o in pole position to replace Freedman at Crystal Palace
However, the options for the Eagles don’t stop there, as Football Insider now reports that Tim Steidten is not only under consideration but in pole position to become Crystal Palace’s new sporting director.
steve parish
The report states that Glasner has given the green light for the club to appoint Steidten as Freedman’s replacement. The 45-year-old has recently found himself out of work after he left West Ham United, following the arrival of Graham Potter as manager.
Before joining the Hammers, the German worked as a scout, sporting director and director of football at Werder Bremen, as well as head of scouting and sports coordinator at Bayer Leverkusen. During his time at Leverkusen, Steidten was key in the club's signing of Jeremie Frimpong and Moussa Diaby, to name just a few.
Steidten’s time at West Ham had some difficult moments, as it was well-publicised that he fell out with former manager David Moyes. So, Palace will hope that he can form a good partnership with Glasner, as they will not want to be looking for a new manager because of who they brought in as sporting director.
It has been claimed that Palace are looking to tie Glasner down to a new contract, so him getting on board with Steidten’s arrival could help the Eagles seal that contract negotiation, as the Austrian has managed to turn the club’s fortunes around this season.