CRYSTAL PALACE have stepped up their pursuit of Fenerbahce defender Jayden Oosterwolde after losing Marc Guehi to Manchester City.
The Eagles have been left desperately short of centre-back options since skipper Guehi completed his £20million move to the Etihad on Monday.
And Oosterwolde, 24, has emerged as a strong candidate to replace him.
The Dutchman ranks highly for both blocks and tackles among central defenders playing in Europe this season, while his turn of pace has also caught the eye.
As a natural left-footer, he could take Guehi’s place on the left side of Oliver Glasner’s Palace back-three.
SunSport understands that the Eagles have ramped up their interest in recent days but rival suitors are also in the picture.
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Nottingham Forest and Leeds have expressed interest, while Roma have been pushing to sign him since the start of the window.
Palace are yet to enter club-to-club negotiations but Oosterwolde is a prominent name under consideration as they plot their next move.
Oosterwolde, who can also play as an orthodox left-back, came through the youth system of Dutch side FC Twente.
After making his senior breakthrough in the Netherlands he joined Parma in the Italian second tier.
Just a few months later he was snapped up by Fenerbahce, who tied him down to a new contract in July.
Oosterwolde’s 2024-25 season was curtailed by an ACL injury but he’s currently enjoying one of the best campaigns of his career.
He’s played more league minutes than all bar one of his Fenerbahce team-mates, and scored against bitter rivals Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Cup final earlier this month.
Glasner has confessed that he plans to leave Palace at the end of the season but demanded more support from club bosses in the meantime after being caught unawares by Guehi’s sale.
The Austrian said: “We feel like we’re being abandoned completely.
“Selling our captain one day before a game – there is no understanding for this.
“We are preparing and I get told that our captain will be sold, but why not next week? It makes me really upset. I’ve just got no understanding.”
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