Aston Villa, Leicester City, Burnley and Arsenal reportedly wanted Gary Cahill before he chose to join Premier League rivals Crystal Palace.
The likes of Aston Villa, Burnley and Leicester City were keen to sign Gary Cahill on a free transfer but, according to The Express, he simply couldn’t turn down the chance to reunite with Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace.
Following over a month without a club, a defender who won eight trophies during a silver-coated spell at Chelsea is finally back in the game.
Cahill signed a two-year deal with Crystal Palace on Monday and, after playing just 22 minutes of Premier League football under Maurizio Sarri in his final season at Stamford Bridge, the veteran centre-half will be chomping at the bit to prove he’s still got it at the top level.
But why did the 33-year-old choose The Eagles over Aston Villa, Burnley, Leicester and even Arsenal? Well, the promise of £75,000-a-week certainly helps.
Though The Express are keen to point out that ‘the Hodgson factor’ was also key to his decision.
Cahill won the majority of his 61 England caps under former Fulham, Liverpool and Inter Milan coach. Hodgson even handed Cahill the captain’s armband for the first time during a 2-0 win against Estonia in 2015.
“He seems to be more and more comfortable with the responsibility of the top matches i.e. England, Champions League and Premier League,” Hodgson told the FA’s website in 2014.
“I think he has a quiet authority, I think he’s someone who really knows what his job is, takes the job very seriously and works very hard to get better in that job.”
That ‘quiet authority’ could make Cahill crucial to Palace both on and off the pitch as Hodgson looks to keep a side who have struggled to strengthen clear of the relegation zone in the months ahead.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
