There is little to moan about at Crystal Palace right now.
Steve Parish is overseeing a golden period at Selhurst Park, with the FA Cup and Community Shield sitting in the trophy cabinet while as many as 14 senior stars are called up to international duty.
Crystal Palace have quite simply moved to a new level under Oliver Glasner, but things potentially could have been even more exciting had better judgement been made on Antoine Semenyo.
Crystal Palace live to regret overlooking the talent of Antoine Semenyo
The Ghana international is currently the most productive player in the entire Premier League this season behind Erling Haaland.
Semenyo can boast six goals and three assists in just seven Premier League appearances so far this term, with the Cherries now valuing their £10.5m signing at a sum of £75m.
However, the Bournemouth No.24 so easily could have become a Crystal Palace player on two occasions.
Semenyo went on trial at Crystal Palace back in 2015 for eight weeks, only to be told he would not be kept – a decision which actually led him to temporarily quit football.
The 25-year-old told The Athletic: “The nail in the coffin was at Palace. I was 15 and they said I wasn’t going to get signed. That was so tough. I remember looking at my dad and I was just so sad. I got in the car and I was crying thinking… I am not going to play any football for a year.”
Semenyo eventually earned a contract at Bristol City in 2017 after a two-week trial, where he shone with 21 goals and 21 assists in 125 appearances.
This form led Crystal Palace to make another mistake in January 2023.
£10.5m fee now looks a bargain as Bournemouth reap rewards for outbidding Crystal Palace
Dougie Freedman, a keen viewer of the Championship after signing the likes of Michael Olise and Adam Wharton, took note of the Chelsea-born forward at Bristol City and wanted to sign him.
While Patrick Vieira was at the helm, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth engaged in a battle to sign Semenyo in January 2023, as detailed by Sky Sports.
It was the Cherries who came out on top – agreeing a £10.5m deal with Bristol City – and it has proven to be an inspired move as the Londoner is now worth roughly seven times that figure.
