Considering their reputation when it comes to turning EFL starlets into Premier League stalwarts, it is difficult to think of a more typical Crystal Palace signing.
The trio of Ebere Eze, Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton all became England internationals at Selhurst Park.
And, as Michael Olise danced through the Shakhtar Donetsk defence before finishing off a bonafide Champions League Goal of the Season contender in midweek, it was easy to forget that Bayern Munich’s £50 million winger was turning out in front of a few thousand fans at Reading only three years prior.
With an Olise-shaped hole in Oliver Glasner’s attack, Crystal Palace are turning to Millwall’s Romain Esse ahead of the January transfer window.
According to The Standard, talks have already taken place with The Eagles. And while Esse may not be quite as far along in his development as Olise was when Palace secured a bargain £8 million deal back in 2021, Millwall manager Neil Harris has no doubts at all that the former will end up following in the latter’s footsteps.
Not necessarily in the red of Bayern Munich, but certainly the Premier League.
Crystal Palace target Romain Esse tipped for Premier League future
“Romain is a brilliant, undoubted talent,” Harris told the Southwark News this week. “[Esse] is going to go and play in the Premier League soon.”
Olise, in his final season at Reading, provided seven goals and 12 Championship assists. Esse, however, has just three goals and one assist to show for his efforts across 2024/25 thus far. And, at 19, he is the same age as Olise was when he swapped the Madejski Stadium for Selhurst Park.
But that does not mean Esse cannot develop into a footballer capable of ascending the same heights. Harris feels that the teenage winger will hit another level once he adds some consistency to his game.
“He can be in and out of games and you have to accept that,” says Harris, who will officially resign from the post after Millwall’s clash with Middlesbrough on Saturday afternoon. “Youngsters flitter in and out.”
Still, comparisons with Olise are inevitable. Especially given that both could arrive at Crystal Palace from the Championship, and both are left-footed attackers who like to drift in off the right.
Steve Gallen, Millwall’s director of football, insists that the Londoners have no plans to let any of their key players leave mid-season. Not with Millwall still outsiders for a play-off push.
The Standard say that Crystal Palace would be willing to send Esse back on loan to The Den until the summer, however. That, plus a big cash offer, may be sufficient to twist Millwall’s arm even if the club are under no financial pressure to let Esse go.
Millwall send Crystal Palace a warning over potential Michael Olise replacement
“We don’t want to sell anybody in January,” Gallen tells Millwall TV. “There’s nobody in the football club saying we need to make a sale.
“We want to keep our good players, but we also realise if they are doing well that there was a lot of interest after the Leeds and Burnley games [Millwall won both 1-0] in our players. It’s great. I get a scouting list sent to me after every game. I’m tracking who is coming to watch us.
“I want the stand full of European clubs and Premier League clubs coming to watch our players. There are quite a few coming and that is good for our football club.
“We realise eventually we will sell one or two players and then replace them with one or two to try and make us sustainable. But we also want to win football matches and be up around the top of the league.”
TBR understands that Crystal Palace like Lyon duo Rayan Cherki and Ernest Nuamah too. Both, like Esse, are left-footers who like to play off the right.