Palace wait on Iraola with Lampard among plan Bs

For Crystal Palace, all eyes are now Andoni Iraola. Will he, won’t he?

The glory of Wednesday night’s euphoric Conference League win in Leipzig won’t fade for some time for supporters.

But for those at the heart of the club, the planning for next season will accelerate with almost immediate effect.

The first task at hand is to appoint a new head coach.

As BBC Sport revealed earlier this month, Iraola is the man Palace want to replace the outgoing Oliver Glasner, who insisted after the triumph in Germany that he has no plans to reverse his decision.

They have made the Spaniard a proposal and are awaiting his answer, within that are assurances that he will be permitted significant influence over the recruitment operation.

It is understood Palace want an answer by the end of the weekend.

The move is ambitious. Iraola has emerged as one of the brightest managers in European football; Bournemouth’s qualification for next season’s Europa League illustrative of his impressive body of work.

“We have got a taste for it now, we want to keep it going,” said owner Steve Parish following the win over Rayo Vallecano.

“We have gone up a level and we have got to try and stay there. We will have a week to celebrate and then work hard in the summer.”

Palace believe they have done all they can to convince Iraola that they can provide the platform for him to continue building his reputation.

All that is left is Iraola’s approval.

If the 43-year-old declines then Palace will move on to plan B.

Among the alternatives is understood to be Frank Lampard, who has key admirers in the Palace boardroom.

Releasing Lampard from his contract with Coventry provides an obvious stumbling block should Palace pivot to the former Chelsea midfielder.

But there is some optimism at Palace that Lampard, who is aware of the Premier League club’s interest in him, would be open to joining ahead of next season.

Kieran McKenna, Pierre Sage, Sean Dyche and Thomas Frank have also been discussed as options.

Luring Iraola to Selhurst Park would be represent a coup for Palace, but the fact he’s taken so long to decide has led to a degree of scepticism inside Selhurst Park over whether the now-departed Bournemouth head coach is prepared to accept.

Much will become clearer in the coming days.

Who will stay, and who will go?

As ever, player retention will emerge as a key narrative in Palace’s summer.

Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi have all left the club in the last two summers but Palace are determined to avoid any further significant exits.

That will be easier said than done.

While Wednesday night’s victory over Rayo Vallecano may help keep players satisfied with Europa League football now secured for next season, their triumph will inevitably attract more admiring glances at their players.

Adam Wharton’s man of the match performance in the final will only serve to heighten the feeling that the midfielder is destined to join an elite club.

Indeed, Liverpool and Manchester United are known to be among his admirers. But Palace are in a strong position to keep the wolves from their door for at least one more season given Wharton’s contract still has three years left to run.

Palace are open to offering Wharton an improved deal, though it is unclear as to whether the midfielder is keen to engage given the interest from elsewhere.

Elsewhere, goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who has two years on his current contract, is attracting interest from several Premier League sides and can expect an approach over a potential new deal in the coming weeks.

Central defender Jaydee Canvot, who has impressed since Marc Guehi’s exit in January, is understood to be on Paris Saint-Germain’s radar.

Jean-Phillippe Mateta’s future will also need resolving after his protracted move to AC Milan in January broke down because of a failed medical.

Mateta made clear at the time that he saw his long-term future away from Selhurst Park and the club signed Jorgen Strand Larsen from Wolves in a deal worth £48million to countenance his anticipated exit.

There have been reports that Maxence Lacroix is stalling on a new contract, though it is understood Ismaila Sarr is keen to discuss a possible renewal.

There’s plenty to unpack at Selhurst Park this summer.

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