Crystal Palace celebrate winning the FA Cup.Crystal Palace celebrate winning the FA Cup.
Crystal Palace celebrate winning the FA Cup. | AFP via Getty Images
Oliver Glasner and Steve Parish must now turn their attention to the summer window following a huge FA Cup win.
Crystal Palace won’t stop celebrating a euphoric FA Cup win at Wembley Stadium anytime soon but, when the dust settles, attention will turn towards the summer transfer window and competing in the Europa League.
The FA have confirmed that the winner of the tournament would pocket £2 million of prize money and the runners-up take home £1 million. That may be peanuts compared with the £25 million Crystal Palace are on track to receive in the top flight but that £2 million could prove fruitful with the summer transfer window ahead.
The Eagles are going to struggle to sign a proven European player with that money but could use it to invest in the future. The south London club has earned a reputation for helping EFL talent adapt to the Premier League.
In recent years, Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise and Adam Wharton have moved from promising Championship names to Premier League regulars at Selhurst Park. Crystal Palace spent £12 million on Romain Esse from Millwall in January, who looks set to be the next to follow in those footsteps.
Crystal Palace win £2m FA Cup prize money
The £2 million picked up from the FA Cup final could go to worse places than a transfer bid for budding QPR talent Kieran Morgan. The 19-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough season at Loftus Road and looks to have a very bright future ahead of him.
Morgan was released by Tottenham Hotspur as an under-18 last summer and then taken on by QPR as part of their Development Squad. However, by October, Morgan was fast tracked into the first team by manager Marti Cifuentes and went on to score on his second outing - a vital goal in a 1-1 draw against Coventry City.
A first start eventually came against then top of the table Sunderland. Speaking after that match, Cifuentes said: "He played fantastic. He has a big personality.
"That's a little bit the trend he has been showing since he joined in the summer. He came here at 17 years old and now he's 18. He's been showing a lot of good things and getting some minutes these last games because that is what he has been pushing for.
"We felt that today he could be a part of the team and he has done very well. I am very happy for him with the way he played and the personality he showed, playing against a team at the top of the table, asking for the ball all the time, being crucial in our build-up play and crucial in how we attack in the last third.
"Very, very good signal for not only him but for the club that we have the possibility to give opportunities to academy players and that they can perform at this level."
QPR star has potential to slot into Crystal Palace system
Morgan is a player who could fit very well into the Crystal Palace system. He is already showing the ability to fulfil a more defensive or offensive role in midfield, suggesting he could develop into a star capable of filling the boots of Will Hughes or Eberechi Eze - the former 30 years old and the latter regularly linked with a move away.
The player himself has named Martin Odegaard as an inspiration. Speaking to The Sun, Morgan said: "I like Odegaard. It's everything he does on and off the ball. There's so much work he does out of possession. His assist against Chelsea before Christmas time was unreal."
Morgan is currently valued at £335,00 by Transfermarkt but there’s no doubt that QPR will value him higher than that. The midfielder signed a new long term contract with the club in January, which means that the west London side are under no pressure to sell.
Kieran Morgan reported market value assessed
Speaking as he penned that contract, Morgan said: “It has gone quite quick and I just want to say thank you to all the staff, fans and players that have welcomed me. I have to keep pushing now. This is only the start.
“With opportunities that have come around I have taken them, and that’s credit to the staff that have trusted me, and the players. I have faith and belief in myself. I think I have shown on the pitch I am doing quite well. I am playing with confidence and freely, and I have got to keep playing like that.”
That upgraded contract was no surprise given Morgan’s promotion from the academy to first team. While QPR would demand much more than £335,000 for the player given his potential, it seems unlikely it would take a fee as much as the £12 million spent on Esse to make a transfer a reality.
The player still has fewer than 1,800 minutes of first team football under his belt and, while hugely promising, is not the finished product for the Premier League - an agreement to loan the player back for a season could lower an asking price. The R’s have also axed Marti Cifuentes in recent weeks, leaving question marks over the future of players favoured by the head coach, such as Morgan.
QPR sold highly-rated 21-year-old Sinclair Armstrong to Bristol City for £2.5 million last year, which could hint at a more realistic price for Morgan - and the FA Cup winnings could go a long way to making that a reality.
In other news, 'I want to' - Crystal Palace FA Cup finalist confirms retirement decision at 11th club.
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