REUTERS/Albert Gea
Crystal Palace are now making progress in their pursuit of Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Larsson, and he is ready to make a move to the Premier League.
Pierre Sage has made it clear his recruitment policy is very much 'quality not quantity', as we enter the final stages of the summer transfer window, with the Palace manager revealing he doesn't expect to make many more additions to his squad.
Sage said: "Yeah, maybe one or two. Like I said on Monday, we have time. We don't want to take a player who is not for us – we just want to take the good players for us – and that's why it's not about one or two days.
"We have to work with these guys during all the season, and sometimes it's better to wait to take the first [player] that comes."
Fortunately, Larsson fits the bill, given that he has received major plaudits from podcaster Will Balsam, who said: "Hugo Larsson is an absolute unicorn. Tall, long strides, good burst. Great passing range and can cover space. Big, big fan of his talents."
Frankfurt's Hugo Larsson
Despite being just 22-years-old, the central midfielder is already very experienced, chalking up 180 appearances across spells with Malmo FF and Frankfurt, and he is particularly strong defensively, averaging 1.5 interceptions per 90 in the Bundesliga last season.
For reference, that was the third-best average in the Frankfurt squad, and higher than any average recorded by a Palace player in the Premier League.
Ranking Crystal Palace's top performers (2025-26) Interceptions per 90
1. Chris Richards 1.4
2. Maxence Lacroix 1.3
2. Jefferson Lerma 1.3
4. Daniel Munoz 1.0
5. Tyrick Mitchell 0.9
5. Adam Wharton 0.9
5. Will Hughes 0.9
Crystal Palace making progress in Hugo Larsson pursuit
RB Leipzig's Xavi Simons in action with Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Larsson
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Crystal Palace have now opened talks regarding a deal for Larsson, and he could be available for just £25m, with Frankfurt seemingly prepared to cash-in for a relatively low fee.
Fulham have also been in discussions to sign the Sweden international though, alongside a plethora of other Premier League clubs, including Everton, so there could be fierce competition for his signature.
Palace and Fulham are the two sides that have made the most progress up to this point, and he is open to a move to the Premier League, so there are some very encouraging signs that a move to Selhurst Park could be possible.
Both sides have made very disappointing starts to the campaign, losing their opening two matches, but European football will be on offer at Selhurst Park next season, courtesy of their 2025-26 Europa Conference League triumph.