Palace face four-way fight to keep David Ozoh after Derby loan success

Crystal Palace must convince David Ozoh that his future remains at Selhurst Park or risk losing the midfielder, with 1.FC Koln, Olympique Marseille, Hull City and Derby County reportedly interested in signing him.

The 21-year-old has returned to Palace after an impressive loan spell at Derby County, where he made 33 appearances in the EFL Championship and scored twice last season. His performances have attracted interest from several clubs, while also helping him earn international recognition with Nigeria.

Ozoh has one year remaining on his Crystal Palace contract but has so far declined to open discussions over an extension. He is understood to favour an exit, leaving the club with a decision to make over whether it can persuade him to stay or sell him this summer.

He is currently involved in pre-season training under new manager Pierre Sage. However, unless Palace can change his mind over a new deal, the midfielder is expected to be made available for transfer rather than allowed to enter the final year of his contract without an agreement.

According to The Standard, Bundesliga club 1.FC Koln have included Ozoh on their shortlist of potential signings. The German side are joined in the reported race by Olympique Marseille, Hull City and his former loan club Derby County.

Four clubs monitoring midfielder

Marseille and Hull City are believed to be capable of offering a higher transfer fee than 1.FC Koln or Derby County. Despite that, Ozoh and his representatives have not yet reached a final decision about where he could continue his career.

A fee of about €5.8m has most recently been discussed for the midfielder, who spent the whole of last season with Derby. The Championship campaign gave him regular first-team football and helped raise his profile beyond club level.

His form also caught the attention of Nigeria manager Eric Chelle. Chelle successfully persuaded Ozoh to switch his international allegiance to Nigeria, despite the player having represented England during his youth career.

Palace’s immediate priority is therefore to establish whether Ozoh can be convinced to commit his long-term future to the club. If no agreement is reached, the interest from Germany, France and the English Championship could give Palace an opportunity to secure a substantial fee for a player who still has a year left on his current contract.

The situation leaves Ozoh with several options, but his next move will depend on both his preference and the terms available from the clubs monitoring him. For Palace, the decision is whether to fight to retain a midfielder who impressed during his time at Derby or cash in while his market value remains strong.

Daniel Martins