Crystal Palace have found gold in the “spectacular” star who is worth more than Guehi

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Crystal Palace have found gold in the “spectacular” star who is worth more than Guehi

Crystal Palace have had to deal with a lot of losses from their squad in the last few seasons.

The Eagles have been able to turn some of their biggest stars for profit, with Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze both leaving in the last few summer windows, joining Bayern Munich and Arsenal, respectively.

This winter, it was club captain and key defender Marc Guehi who left the club. He moved to Manchester City, showing that he is determined to compete at the highest level and compete for major titles.

Of course, losing their captain and talisman in January was not an easy thing for Palace to deal with.

Why losing Guehi was such a blow

England’s Guehi was instrumental in a historic campaign for the Eagles last season.

He was the man who lifted the FA Cup at Wembley in May, after Oliver Glasner’s side beat his current club, Man City, in the capital.

He was an integral part of Glasner’s side during the project at Selhurst Park.

He played 80 games under the tutelage of the Austrian, scoring and assisting six goals each, showing the value he brought to the team outside of the defensive side of his game.

As a defender, some of his numbers were stellar. Last season in the South London team, he averaged 4.3 balls and won 4.94 duels per 90 minutes on average. In football, he completed 3.32 long balls per game on average.

As the numbers show, it was painful to lose the England star, with Glasner saying “it’s impossible to find a replacement,” especially in the short term.

Perhaps, then, the reported £20m fee they received for Guehi from City has taken a toll on them.

However, surprisingly, the Eagles have a player on the team who is more important than their former captain.

The Crystal Palace star is worth more than Guehi

Selhurst Park has become a hotbed of exciting young talents plying their trade, attracting the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Glasner may drop Strand Larsen and bring in new Crystal Palace star Zaha

Crystal Palace are determined to win the Conference League ahead of several inevitable departures.

Guehi’s move to Manchester is the latest example of this trend.

However, Palace still boast some talented players, with French defender Maxence Lacroix one of the best players in their squad.

Described as an “exciting” defender by scout Antonio Mango, he is a standout for the Eagles.

This term under Glasner, the importance of the former Wolfsburg player has been evident, especially since Guehi left.

He played 43 times in all competitions, even skipping the team in their recent Europa Conference League victory over AEK Larnaca.

Some of the 25-year-old’s numbers this season highlight why he is as important a player as he was their former captain.

For example, Lacroix wins 5.9 duels per 90 minutes, more than Guehi last term, and among Premier League central defenders 21%.

Lacroix – 25/26 PL statistics
Number (90th percentile)	Number	Level
Duels won	5.9	21% higher
Aerial duels won	3.37	24% higher
Fighting	1.81	Top 25%
Erasure	7.35	Top 10%
Long balls completed	48.6%	Up to 23%
Statistics from Fotmob

Considering those basic figures from the top flight this term, and how important he is to Glasner, it may come as no surprise to learn that Lacroix is highly valued by Transfermarkt.

According to the website, he is worth £34.7m, the highest of any time in his career, reflecting the progress he has made. To cost almost £15m more than what Guehi was sold for speaks volumes for the quality he possesses.

Palace will certainly be hoping they can hold on to France for a while, especially after losing Guehi recently.

However, there is no denying the quality he possesses, and if they have to sell him at some point in the future, Steve Parish will certainly look to recoup as much of that valuation as possible, and more.