Crystal Palace's 2023 summer transfer window - summary, analysis, rating

Hodgson comfortably guided Palace to safety and proved some doubters wrong with an open, expansive style of play, utilising the club's more creative players very well.

With the Eagles hoping to kick on, Sports Mole looks at their summer transfer business and what it could mean for the coming season.

Who have Palace signed and sold?

INs

Jefferson Lerma - free from Bournemouth

Matheus Franca - £17m from Flamengo

Dean Henderson - £15m from Manchester United

Rob Holding - £1m from Arsenal

OUTs (selected)

Wilfried Zaha - free to Galatasaray

Jack Butland - free to Rangers

Luka Milivojevic - free to Shabab Al Ahli

James McArthur - retired

Vicente Guaita - free to Celta Vigo

How well have Palace strengthened?

Palace were not the most active club in the transfer window, but they have targeted areas that needed strengthening and added well.

Moving fast to sign Jefferson Lerma on a free from Bournemouth was a shrewd bit of business, and he has already seamlessly integrated into the squad, forming a good partnership with Cheick Doucoure in midfield.

Losing Wilfried Zaha meant Palace had to be in the market for a similar profile of player, and they will hope that young Brazilian Matheus Franca can provide that same kind of excitement, pace and trickery that Palace fans had seen for so many years.

With Sam Johnstone and Vicente Guaita already among the ranks, Palace had two very capable goalkeepers, but after the Spaniard's falling out with Hodgson, the club moved fast and secured the signing of Dean Henderson from Manchester United.

Often rated as one of the top three English keepers around, a fee of £15m could be a steal if Henderson can replicate the form he showed at Sheffield United a few years ago.

Deadline day was rather quiet at Selhurst Park, but the club did add even more Premier League experience with Rob Holding arriving for just £1m.

Even though Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen are unlikely to be budged at the centre of defence, Holding does add quality and versatility to the squad, and it was a no-brainer given the cost.

Where else could Palace have targeted?

With only four players coming in, there are still some gaps in the Palace squad that could have done with some strengthening.

The most obvious position is at left-back, where Tyrick Mitchell is their only natural option in that role.

Joel Ward and Nathaniel Clyne have covered on the left before, but are right-sided players and there is not much cover on that flank either.

Clyne does not have the best injury record either, while the versatile Jeffrey Schlupp is currently being used in midfield due to injuries elsewhere in the squad.

Palace's decision not to add another striker to the squad was not the most popular, but their current options Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta have hit form early in the season to calm those concerns for now.

Edouard had only hit 11 goals in two full seasons with the club, while Mateta is on just eight in two-and-a-half years at Selhurst Park.

However, Mateta's hat-trick at Plymouth Argyle in the EFL Cup, and brilliant brace from Edouard in their league win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend is a huge step in the right direction.

Targets Palace missed out on:

If reports were correct, Palace did attempt to move for a striker late in the window, as Kelechi Iheanacho was linked with the club.

However, the deal eventually stalled with complications regarding the fee and Palace opted not to pursue any other attacking targets.

Before the late signing of Holding, Palace were also linked with other defensive incomings.

Perr Schuurs and Odilon Kossounou were both rumoured to be of interest to Palace, but they may have been on standby if Guehi or Andersen were sold, as nothing concrete ever materialised.

Who have Palace kept hold of?

In one the most surprising turn of events all summer, Michael Olise, who looked certain to end the window as a Chelsea player, ended up signing a new contract with Palace completely out of the blue.

It was a phenomenal bit of business by the club, especially after Hodgson even admitted that he thought it would be a struggle to keep Olise this summer.

Olise's value to the team was evident more than ever last season, as he registered 11 Premier League assists, and the fans will now be eagerly awaiting his return from injury.

Liverpool's hectic search for a holding midfielder in the final weeks of the window saw Doucoure's name come up often, but Palace also stood firm by their £70m valuation.

In his debut campaign, Doucoure was voted as the Fans' Player of the Season, and is now set to kick on even further with Lerma alongside him in the middle.

Eberechi Eze's excellent form towards the end of last season was a big factor in Palace moving away from trouble and it also earned him an England call-up.

Therefore, it was no surprise that the likes of Manchester City were linked, but Eze has stayed put for now, however, another fine campaign could make it increasingly difficult for the Eagles to hang on to their star man.

Who have Palace have lost?

Eze and Olise will now need to take centre stage though due to the departure of Zaha after a combined 12 seasons with the club.

Zaha's move to Galatasaray was a killer blow as it came just as some Palace fans were becoming more optimistic that he may sign a new deal with the club.

Franca's arrival provides some excitement, but his inexperience must be accounted for as he is not expected to hit the ground running immediately.

Behind the scenes too, the departures of Guaita, Luka Milivojevic and James McArthur leaves a leadership void which some of the younger members of the squad now must take on.

Palace's transfer window - 7/10

Incomings were a little on the light side, but the free signing of Lerma could turn out to be a masterstroke from Palace.

Henderson and Holding bring in quality and experience for low fees, while the arrival of Franca is an exciting one given his potential too.

Keeping Olise and tying him down to a new contract was unquestionably the highlight of the window for Palace though, while retaining Eze and Doucoure is another big positive.

Palace remain light in wide areas though, both in defence and going forward, while a consistent, proven goalscorer would also have been welcome.

Losing Zaha was also a big, but expected, blow and his directness, pace and goal threat will be sorely missed.