Pierre Sage seemed likely to promote Danny Imray at Crystal Palace following the departure of Nathaniel Clyne.
The decision not to hand the 35-year-old a new contract suggested, to us at least, that Imray was going to get a chance to deputise for Daniel Munoz on the right of defence heading into the 2026/27 campaign, given the lack of another option behind the Colombian.
The Crystal Palace academy graduate shone on loan at Blackpool in the first half of last season, before earning a move up a level to West Brom in January and maintaining his high standards – playing a key role as the Baggies avoided relegation to League One.
Now, however, Crystal Palace have signed Oscar Mingueza and Sage plans to use the Spaniard as a rotational option with Munoz on the right, leaving the door open for West Brom to bring Imray back.
🚨 NEW SIGNING ALERT 🚨
What do Palace need to do next after landing a new defender in Mingueza? 🇪🇸
Chances of Danny Imray returning to West Brom have now increased substantially
John Percy of the Telegraph revealed in May that West Brom want to sign the 22-year-old in a permanent move this summer after his superb stint on loan, and is a “top target” for James Morrison.
Now, the wheels could be set in motion for the Baggies to wrap up a permanent deal for Imray.
Sage is unlikely to need three options at right wing-back despite the fact Crystal Palace have UEFA Europa League football to contend with next season, and given how well Imray fared on loan at two different clubs last season, we doubt Steve Parish will want to see the youngster waste away on the bench next season.
It would make sense to either loan Imray out again for the Crystal Palace academy graduate to continue his development, or cash in while his stock is high – we can see Parish opting for the latter.
The Eagles need to be mindful of finances after spending roughly £80m on Brennan Johnson and Jorgen Strand Larsen at the start of 2026 – with UEFA’s Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) rule something to consider.
While that does not mean Crystal Palace need to cash in on the biggest stars such as Adam Wharton, it will make the sale of homegrown talents like Imray and Justin Devenny more enticing, as those deals go down as 100% profit in the books.
Who is your DREAM signing? ⭐️
With this taken into account alongside the arrival of Mingueza, we can absolutely see Crystal Palace doing business with West Brom in weeks to come.
