Crystal Palace’s recruitment team have been active in South America over the past year. The Eagles are increasingly looking for younger profiles who can be developed rather than immediate starters.
That approach has seen them track several emerging talents. Cerro Porteño’s Gabriel Aguayo is one of the names to have appeared on their radar. We covered Crystal Palace’s interest in the winger back in January 2025. At that time, reports from Paraguay suggested the Eagles were moving towards a deal.
The 19-year-old winger only broke into the Paraguayan club’s senior side in 2024. That remains his main reference point statistically. Across that year, he made 33 appearances, contributing two goals and four assists.
He was largely used as a wide option off the flank. He was still adapting to senior football rather than posting high-volume attacking numbers.
More recently, in 2026, his exposure has come through international youth football. Aguayo has been involved with Paraguay at the South American U20 Championship. There, he has continued to get minutes and maintain his place in the attacking rotation.
His involvement in that tournament has only increased visibility, and fits with Crystal Palace’s tendency to monitor players in these environments before making firm decisions.
Agent clarifies Crystal Palace interest
Earlier claims from Paraguay suggested Crystal Palace were in advanced negotiations and close to securing Aguayo’s signing. Some reports even went as far as describing the deal as being ‘one step away’.
However, that picture now looks overstated.
Journalist Andrés Rolón reports that agent Jani Delmas has confirmed the Premier League side’s interest was genuine. However, it never progressed beyond early-stage contact.
“They spoke with me, it started with the South American scout and then I spoke with people in England, but there was no formal offer,” Delmas explained.
Transfer claims cooled after latest update
This aligns more closely with other reporting from Paraguay from that time. At that time, sources insisted there was ‘real interest’ from Crystal Palace but no concrete steps were taken.
The contrast between those accounts and earlier claims of advanced negotiations suggests the situation has been exaggerated in recent days.
It now appears Aguayo is firmly in the monitoring phase. Palace are using the U20 Championship as a key checkpoint to assess his level.
What this means for Crystal Palace
Oliver Glasner already had several attacking options, and any move for Aguayo would likely be a development signing rather than one expected to contribute immediately in the Premier League.
With that in mind, the absence of a formal offer is not necessarily negative. Instead, it indicates the club are still gathering information before deciding whether to advance.
Should Aguayo significantly raises his profile during the tournament, this could be one for the summer.
🇵🇹 Ousmane Diomande | Crystal Palace return chance
➡️ Transfer was close after initial try
✅ #CPFC can seal deal for €40-50mhttps://t.co/Q9KDkAPYkt
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) March 7, 2026