Crystal Palace

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Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta has been named in the France squad for this summer's Olympics in Paris.

Boss Thierry Henry has included the 27-year-old as one of three overage players.

A former France Under-21 international, Mateta had not represented his country since 2019 before his selection in the provisional squad for the Games.

France play the United States in their opening match on 24 July and also face Guinea and New Zealand in the group stage.

Winger Michael Olise joined Bayern Munich for about £50m over the weekend.

Olise, who has spent three seasons with Crystal Palace, scored 10 goals in 19 Premier League appearances as Oliver Glasner's side finished 10th in the table last season.

How are you feeling about losing him? Are you happy with the fee? And who could Glasner bring in as his replacement?

Let us know here, external

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Jean-Philippe Mateta and Michael Olise warmed up for the Olympics in style as the France Under-23 team ran out 4-1 winners against Paraguay in Bayonne.

The Crystal Palace pair continued their fine form from the end of the season as, after France fell behind early on, Olise set up Mateta to level the scores with his first goal for his country in five years.

After Olise was substituted at half-time, Mateta's second goal put France in front before the hosts scored twice more to round off the win.

France kick off their quest for Olympic glory on Wednesday, 24 July against United States.

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Matheus Franca is grateful for how warmly he has been received at Selhurst Park, despite an injury-disrupted first season with Crystal Palace.

The Brazilian managed just 10 Premier League appearances but showed glimpses of his talent when fit and says the supporters have been a constant encouragement.

"They associate samba with Brazilians - they really like it," Franca told Brazilian media outlet Globo Esporte, external and reported on the club website, external. "When I got there, there was a samba parade during my presentation. It was really cool.

“In every game, when they [the fans] start 'nanana', I already know it's my song and it gives me an extra boost. I think it's really cool and important when the fans create new songs. I really liked it and felt embraced by the fans' affection."

Coming to England has been a steep learning curve for the 20-year-old who conceded settling in had been difficult.

"The biggest challenge, without a doubt, was the language and communication," he said. "I took English classes, but when I got there it was very different. Adapting to the language and culture was very difficult, but now I'm used to it.

"My family, my parents and my wife were very important to me. They gave me a lot of love so that I could perform at my best on the field.

"I have learned a lot there, with the intensity and change of pace, which are completely different there. Whether it is passing or marking, everything is very different. I had to adapt, and I am improving."

"One of mine and my family's big dreams was to play in England. I've already been able to provide assists, I've been the star of a match, and I want to score my first goal in the Premier League.

"These are small dreams that I'm going to make come true and there are also big dreams that I'll think about later on. Let's take it step by step."

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Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa says Marc Guehi has played "a key part" in England's Euro 2024 journey so far.

The Crystal Palace centre-back has started every game of the tournament, alongside Manchester City's John Stones and has been praised for his displays.

His maturity at just 23 years old has resulted in him being called 'Uncle Marc' by his England teammates because he "strolls around like an uncle" in camp.

"He is so mature for his age," Konsa said, "and he strolls around like an uncle. We have been really impressed by his performances. They have been outstanding."

However, if the Three Lions are to progress to the semi-final, they will have to do it without Guehi. He is serving a one-match suspension after receiving two yellow cards and will miss the quarter-final against Switzerland on Saturday.

Konsa said he “wasn’t aware until after the game” that Guehi would be suspended for the next match, but is "comfortable and confident" that he can step up in his absence if picked by Gareth Southgate.

Real Madrid want 23-year-old Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi, with Barcelona and Juventus also keeping tabs on him. (Sun, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Galatasaray forward Wilfried Zaha is keen to return to the Premier League, with West Ham United, Wolves and former club Crystal Palace interested in the 31-year-old Ivory Coast international. (Star), external

Want more transfer news? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

We asked for your views on Crystal Palace's new attacking midfielder Daichi Kamada, who becomes Oliver Glasner's second signing as manager.

Here are your thoughts on the Japan international:

Rich: It is good to get an experienced player in. He may not have played Premier League football before, but he has European and international experience. He has also worked with Glasner before, so that is a real bonus. Dougie Freedman does an amazing job - he gets some real raw talent from the Championship, but we have to bring in something else as well. He usually gets it right. A positive signing!

Alan: A very solid signing, especially considering it is a free transfer. Both the player and the manager are familiar with each other, and he should fill a gap or two nicely.

Graham: Another top signing. The club is building a great squad and we just need to hold on to our current stars. I think it will be an exciting season. I can't wait.

Terry: We have finally signed a flair and reputable forward player. This, along with the new manager, should cushion the blow of losing Michael Olise. We just need a winger and a full-back now, and we should be in for a comfortable season. A striker would be a bonus too.

Darren: Losing Olise will be keenly felt, but having a player of Kamada's quality will help and it is a statement signing in my book! If he is as good as he was on Football Manager, then we have a gem!

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Ryan Sessegnon is training at Crystal Palace with a view to signing as a free agent.

The 24-year-old defender left Tottenham when his contract expired.

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New signing Daichi Kamada says he is "looking forward to testing" himself in the Premier League and is "excited" to join Crystal Palace.

"I’m excited to be joining Crystal Palace, and to be working with Oliver – who is a coach I know well – again," he told the club website.

"I am looking forward to testing myself in the Premier League, and hopefully the club and I can achieve all of our objectives together.”

Chairman Steve Parish described the Japan international as "a truly exceptional talent" and added the fans "will relish watching him" because of this.

"He has been one of Europe’s best attacking midfielders in recent seasons and his experience, technical quality and commitment mark him out as an excellent addition to our already talented squad," said Parish.

"I am delighted that Daichi has chosen to join Crystal Palace from the many options he had and work once more with Oliver. I am certain Palace fans will relish watching him in the weeks, months and years to come at Selhurst Park."

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Crystal Palace have signed attacking midfielder Daichi Kamada on a two-year-deal.

The 27-year-old joins Palace after his contract at Serie A side Lazio expired.

Kamada won the 2022 Europa League under Oliver Glasner at Eintracht Frankfurt and scored five times on the way to that final.

The Japan international has 33 senior caps and played in the 2022 World Cup.

It is Palace's second signing of the summer following the arrival of Chadi Riad.

What do you think, Palace fans? Is Kamada another positive signing by Glasner? And who should be targeted next?

Have your say here, external

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

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England manager Gareth Southgate will have to make at least one enforced change when they face Switzerland in the last eight of Euro 2024 as he will be deprived of defender Marc Guehi after he picked up a second yellow card in the dramatic win over Slovakia.

Guehi was unfortunate as he was placed in a tough position by Kieran Trippier’s dreadful pass after only three minutes.

He then showed his mentality for the big stage by safely negotiating the rest of normal time plus the extra 30 minutes without further brushes with Turkish referee Umut Meler, who was more than willing to brandish yellow cards, also booking Jude Bellingham and Kobbie Mainoo inside the first 20 minutes.

For all the criticism England have justifiably received for their displays so far, Guehi has emerged as arguably their best player, a calm and composed presence alongside John Stones.

He will be annoyed he allowed Ivan Schranz to get in behind him for Slovakia's goal but Guehi also made some crucial interventions as England wobbled so badly in the first half. He will be missed against the Swiss.

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Another Crystal Palace-related question put to chief footballer writer Phil McNulty:

Tom asked: No-one is talking about Eberechi Eze. However, of all the attack-minded players in the squad he arguably finished the season in the best form and was one of the most dynamic players in the warm-up games. He has the ability to beat players and carry the ball upfield. Do you think Gareth Southgate will utilise him in the knockout stages? And if not, why not?

Phil answered: He certainly finished the season brilliantly at Crystal Palace but I just think other players, such as Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer, have nudged ahead of him, although he did get on as a substitute against Denmark. Southgate could very easily utilise him in the knockout rounds but, at this stage, as a substitute. I totally agree his is a talented, dynamic and exciting player.

Read Phil's other responses and much more on Friday's football live page

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast, Crystal Palace and England forward Eberechi Eze has said growing up playing London 'cage' football has proven to be key in his education in the game.

Eze says that he still uses some of the skills he learned in the small-sided and enclosed environment.

He said: "Just the creativity of being able to get out of tight situations, difficult situations and being free in your mind, just to express yourself and to enjoy. I think that's probably the most important thing as much as there's so much pressure and there's so much, it's quite an intense, intense environment."

On the raw nature of playing in cages, Eze said: "It's not really necessarily playing in cages that are meant for football, it's more just in these council estates you have like garages or whatever they use for goals and playing on concrete.

"So if you fall over, you're getting cut. So it's difficult environments because you're trying to sort of make do with what you've got, but that's part and parcel of growing up in these types of environments.

"You have to be creative, you have to try to figure out a way to express yourself, enjoy yourself and that's what you're doing growing up."

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Managers will always outwardly support their players on the international stage, but you can be sure one or two will privately be hoping for an early exit from Euro 2024 for a few of their star men.

International tournament summers disrupt pre-season for managers.

Various players from different nations return to their clubs at different times, sometimes with injuries, holidays get postponed and rescheduled. As a general rule, the best players are more likely to play for the best nations and therefore go further in international tournaments.

The Euro 2024 final will take place on 14 July. Over half of Premier League clubs already have a pre-season fixture scheduled within 10 days of that.

Of English clubs, unsurprisingly, Premier League champions Manchester City have comfortably the most players in the Euro 2024 knockouts. The best represented Premier League side at the start of the competition have a full line-up of 11 stars still in Germany.

They are followed by the rest of last season's top three - Arsenal and Liverpool - who have eight and seven respectively. Manchester United also have seven while Brentford - aided by their healthy Danish contingent - have six and Crystal Palace five.

Championship play-off winners Southampton's three representatives were all eliminated at the group stage, while fellow newly promoted side Ipswich have not seen their summer impacted at all by players at Euro 2024.

Of the Championship-winning Leicester squad, goalkeeper Mads Hermansen and defenders Wout Faes and Jannik Vestergaard remain in Germany - as does Turkey's Yunus Akgun, who spent last season on loan with the Foxes.

This data was provided by Opta and counts the clubs where players finished at the end of the 2023-24 season.

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Crystal Palace have confirmed they will host French club FC Nantes in their final pre-season fixture.

The game against the Ligue 1 side, who finished 14th last season, will take place on Sunday, 11 August at 15:00 BST, with the new Premier League campaign getting underway the following weekend.

Oliver Glasner's team will be hoping to carry on from where they left off last season, having won six of their last seven games, when they take on Brentford on 18 August.

As part of their pre-season preparations, the Eagles will also play friendlies against Crawley Town, Wolves and West Ham United.

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Before England's Euro 2024 last-16 tie against Slovakia on Sunday, the BBC's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering readers' questions on all things Three Lions.

Andrew asked: Why do you think we haven't seen Adam Wharton so far in the tournament, given his passing attributes would help the team progress the ball?

Phil answered: Wharton is the only one left in central midfield who has not been used after the Trent Alexander-Arnold "experiment" was ditched and Conor Gallagher was replaced by Kobbie Mainoo after only 45 minutes against Slovenia.

Manager Gareth Southgate was probably reluctant to just plunge the least experienced of that group right in - although we know things can change in tournaments - and I actually think Mainoo was the sensible substitute for Gallagher, who was disappointing.

I was actually surprised Gallagher moved up that particular pecking order so quickly and, unfortunately for him, did not distinguish himself.

Wharton's time may come, of course, and he is a real talent - but for now I can see why Southgate went with Mainoo.

Read Phil's other responses and the rest of Friday's football news

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Crystal Palace and England forward Eberechi Eze has said the serious injury that potentially cost him a place at Euro 2020 has "shaped" him and helped him earn a spot at his first major tournament this summer.

Eze, who turns 26 on Saturday, injured his Achilles on the same day he found out he was in Gareth Southgate's provisional squad for Euro 2020 three years ago. He was out of action for several months and it was not until June 2023 that he made his international debut.

Eze has experienced setbacks in football - he spent time with several different clubs as a youngster before making his breakthrough at QPR - but, in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, he said that injury was the biggest of his career to date.

He said: "It takes a different type of mental strength to come through that because you become very isolated, you're on your own, you've got to find a new gear from somewhere and you haven't experienced this before, so that's probably the most difficult thing. But you deal with rejection and failure throughout your whole career."

Eze, who has made one substitute appearance for England at Euro 2024, added: "It's the stuff that happens in the past that sort of creates the journey and makes you appreciate things more when they do come.

"That was a tough period for me, never having experienced an injury before and having to deal with it in that way. It was difficult but, again, I'm grateful for the fact that it did happen and it shaped me.

"I feel like it's moulded me and helped me become the person I am today."

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We asked for your views on which Euros player would be a good fit for Crystal Palace.

Here are a few of your suggestions:

Stanis: With Oliver Glasner's knowledge, the Austrian attacking players plying their trade in Germany's Bundesliga, especially Christoph Baumgartner. Maybe Patrick Wimmer.

Simon: Am watching the Portugal v Georgia match and am pretty impressed with the young 21yo Portuguese winger, Conceicao. Good with both feet, especially cutting in from the left, quick, eye for a gap and good at moving into space. Could be interesting...

Ronnen: Baumgartner from Austria would be a good replacement for Eze as he's a prolific goalscorer for Austria, along with good dribbling and a pretty quick pace.

Sam: Lois Openda.

Thomas: England's best player across the three group matches has arguably been Guehi. So, Palace holding onto him after the tournament is probably more of a priority than signing someone new.

Peter: None of them: that's not what Palace do best. Young players from lower leagues, that's the way.

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Marc Guehi rejects any suggestion he has been England's best player at Euro 2024 but says he is enjoying testing himself on the international stage.

The Crystal Palace defender has impressed in a back four that has the lowest expected goals against (1.1) of all teams in the tournament but Guehi does not agree he has played the biggest part.

"It's nice to hear [but] I don't think I'm the best player," he said. "It’s a collective being able to defend really well. It's testament to the entire team as it is the pressure from the front.

"I think there's been quite a few good performances."

The 23-year-old missed a chunk of the 2023-24 season with a knee injury but got his chance for England after Manchester United's Harry Maguire was ruled out.

"I'm just really enjoying the tournament and enjoying being here," he said. "I think my strengths are to be continued. I'm continuously developing everything and trying to get better in every part of my game."

Guehi is joined in Germany by Palace team-mates Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton but it is the absence of full-back Tyrick Mitchell that has begun to draw more attention, particularly with the dearth of options at left-back for England.

"I would have loved T to be here," Guehi added. "He’s had an amazing season and been very consistent with his performances.

"If he carries on, as we have seen with England players, he will get his chance."