British media: As Yorke s future is pending, Crystal Palace s central defender Diormand is blocked

Sports     12:12pm, 17 July 2025

According to exclusive sources of GiveMeSport, Crystal Palace may find it difficult to convince the other party to lower the transfer price for central defender Diormand in a new round of negotiations with Portugal Sports.

Although the London Hawks have signed free agent goalkeeper Walter Benitez this summer and have introduced left-back Borna Sousa from Ajax for £2 million, coach Glasner is still looking for more strong players in the transfer market to continue his strong performance in the FA Cup last season.

Although it was forced to downshift to participate in the European Union due to the ownership rules of many clubs, Crystal Palace is still determined to continue to strengthen its lineup before the summer window is closed on September 1. GMS sources pointed out that Portugal Sports' terms for other players to leave the team have become extremely strict as the future of the team's top scorer Yorke is pending, adding unexpected variables to Diormand's transfer.

The Ivory Coast international centre-back has made it clear that he is willing to accept new Premier League challenges, which provides favorable conditions for Crystal Palace's purchase. But as preparations for the new season are fully launched, it is becoming increasingly obvious that Portuguese will never let the defensive core at a discounted price. GMS sources confirmed that if Portugal Sports adheres to its existing tough stance, Crystal Palace will have extremely limited negotiation space, which may directly affect their possibility of signing Diormande.

It is worth noting that while Crystal Palace is aware that the Diormand contract contains nearly £70 million termination terms, they have always hoped to reach an agreement with a transfer fee that is much lower than that number. This is the first time in the club's history that they have entered the European war, and they urgently need to strengthen their lineup to deal with multi-line combat. GMS latest learned that Portugal Sports refused to accept any tough attitude of low offers, setting additional obstacles for the transfer. But Crystal Palace is still following up because Glasner is eager to introduce fresh blood to the back line before the Community Shields vs. Liverpool on August 10.

Sources revealed to GMS that as captain Gee enters the final year of the contract, Crystal Palace has always been worried about its possible departure. This is the key reason why they listed Diormand as a key signing target, and the club will never want to see a passive situation where no one is available after the captain leaves the team. The 21-year-old defensive star is regarded as a darling by Portuguese sports fans, and scout Antonio Mango even described him as a phenomenal player. Despite the constant rumors about his future at the end of last season, he has always been in the main position, and now the player himself is eager to open a new chapter in his career.

However, GMS sources learned that since Portugal Sports has not yet determined the transfer income of No. 1 center Yorke, this directly affected the process of Crystal Palace's bid for Diormand. Crystal Palace has to remain patient rather than pushing forward trading quickly in the short term. Another GMS recent exclusive disclosure shows that Crystal Palace priced nearly £100 million for midfielder Adam Walton, which fully demonstrated the club's firm determination to strengthen rather than weaken the lineup. Under the current negotiation deadlock, Crystal Palace needs to judge the situation and wait for the best opportunity to take action.