Crystal Palace chairman "stunned" by limited interest in midfielder.

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has expressed his surprise at the lack of interest in star midfielder Eberechi Eze during the summer transfer window. Despite Eze's impressive performances and reported interest from top Premier League clubs, including Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal, no concrete offers were made for the 26-year-old.

Eze, who had a standout season with 11 goals and six assists in 31 appearances, was believed to have a £60m release clause in his contract, which expired at the end of August. Palace were relieved to keep Eze after letting fellow key player Michael Olise move to Bayern Munich for £50m earlier in the window.

Parish admitted he was "really worried" about the possibility of losing both Olise and Eze, but was "astounded" by the lack of serious interest in Eze. Speaking to Sky Sports News, Parish described Eze as an "outstanding footballer" and an "outstanding person."

Defender and captain Marc Guehi also attracted attention, with Newcastle United reportedly making multiple bids, including a record £65m offer. However, Palace rejected all offers. Parish had anticipated Guehi might leave but was hindered by the £30m sale of Joachim Andersen to Fulham and an injury to new signing Chadi Riad, which made it impractical to part with both starting center-backs.

Parish acknowledged that while Newcastle's bids for Guehi were not accepted, the club is realistic about its position. He noted that Palace aims to sell players to top clubs and understands that maintaining top young talent can be challenging. Parish emphasized the club’s aspiration to compete in the Champions League, recognizing that players often use Palace as a stepping stone to achieve their career goals.

Both Eze and Guehi have featured in each of Palace's first three Premier League games this season, with Eze scoring a crucial equalizer in the 1-1 draw against Chelsea last weekend.