Christian Benteke and Connor Wickham could leave Crystal Palace in the New Year despite recently signing new contracts at Selhurst Park, according to The Sun (1 November, page 59).
A combination of fitness and form (or a lack thereof) have left two of strikers who set the club back a combined £35 million facing a very uncertain future.
Benteke has played more minutes for Palace’s U23s than he has for the first-team this season.
Wickham, meanwhile, hasn’t started a Premier League match in Crystal Palace colours since the 2016/17 season and spent the second half of last term on loan at Sheffield Wednesday.
Despite their difficulties in recent times, both Benteke and Wickham have, for whatever reason, put pen to paper on new contracts at Selhurst Park over the last year-and-a-half.
But with those deals due to run out in July 2021, the Sun reports that the Belgian and the Englishman could be on their way sooner rather than later – potentially in January if a buyer can be found.
They are not the only Palace players who could potentially depart on a free.
The Sun reports that a grand total of 13 players are out of contract, though Roy Hodgson would rather not lose experienced centre-halves Gary Cahill or Mamadou Sakho.
Patrick Van Aanholt, Vicente Guaita and James McCarthy are also a big part of the former England manager’s plans.
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