Remy loaned to Crystal Palace by Chelsea

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London (AFP) – France international striker Loic Remy will spend the 2016-17 season on loan at Crystal Palace from Chelsea, the two Premier League clubs announced on Tuesday.

Remy, 29, has been used sparingly since joining Chelsea from Queens Park Rangers in August 2014, making 46 appearances and scoring 12 goals.

The move to Selhurst Park reunites him with Palace manager Alan Pardew, who was Remy’s manager during the 2013-14 season at Newcastle United.

“This is a very good chance for me and a big opportunity,” Remy told the Palace website.

“It was very important to know Alan Pardew as he is a very good manager and I am happy to be here.”

Remy won the Premier League title and the League Cup in his first season at Chelsea.

But Chelsea’s reliance on Diego Costa meant he rarely featured last season and he would have faced extra competition from new signing Michy Batshuayi had he remained at Stamford Bridge.

The former Lyon, Nice and Marseille striker has won 31 caps for France, scoring seven goals, but has not played for his country in nearly two years.

“Loic has been a target of mine throughout this transfer window and I’m delighted the deal has been done,” Pardew said.

“I brought him to Newcastle so I know what he is capable of and I am convinced he will be a quality addition to our squad as we evolve.”

Remy was the second Chelsea striker to be loaned out on Tuesday after Patrick Bamford moved to Burnley.

He joins former Marseille and France team-mate Steve Mandanda in arriving at Palace for the new season, along with Andros Townsend, James Tomkins and Christian Benteke.

Palace are 17th in the Premier League table and yet to win after the season’s first three games.

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Pardew backs Benteke to plug Palace gap

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London (AFP) – Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew is confident the proposed arrival of striker Christian Benteke from Premier League rivals Liverpool will help bolster spirits at the south London club.

A reported fee of £27 million ($ 35 million, 31 million euros) plus a further £5 million of add-ons has been agreed between Liverpool and Palace for the services of Belgium striker Benteke, who now has to agree personal terms and pass a medical to complete the move.

Palace have seen Yannick Bolasie and Mile Jedinak leave for Everton and Aston Villa but their departures would, to some extent, be offset by the arrival of Benteke, 25, at Selhurst Park.

Benteke has struggled to show the form that convinced Liverpool to sign him for some £32 million from Villa last year but, in Pardew’s opinion at least, the forward remains an “iconic” footballer.   

“It’s still subject to personal terms and a medical, but in terms of an agreement with Liverpool, finally we seem to have got there,” said Pardew on Friday.

“It’s important when you lose iconic players to try and replace them with iconic players,” added Pardew, who also tried to sign Benteke while in charge of Newcastle.

“We’ve lost two this week, Mile Jedinak and Yala Bolasie. Both were massive figures at this club and we will need to replace them with big figures.

“That’s something that didn’t always happen at Newcastle, unfortunately, so I’m pleased the board have been brave with this move.

“He’s someone I know very, very well because I wanted to take him to Newcastle. I thought he’d be a fantastic fit for that club. He got the move to Liverpool and it hasn’t quite worked out.

“For us, we need to get him back to doing what he does best. His style of play, the way he feeds off crosses…

“He’ll enjoy that with the wide players we have. But he’s not our player yet.

“(Bolasie’s transfer to Everton) wasn’t something that I’d planned. I asked him if there was anything we could do to keep him at the club, and his response was ‘no’.”

The proposed transfer fee for Benteke will more than double the club-record £13 million Palace paid to sign Andros Townsend from Newcastle.

Now the former Tottenham winger is set to return to White Hart Lane for the first time since January when Palace face Spurs in north London on Saturday.

Palace started the season with a 1-0 loss at home to West Bromwich Albion last week while Tottenham drew with Everton.

“(Spurs have) an energy in their squad,” said Pardew. “They haven’t had to make wholesale changes in that group because they’re so young, and they’ll be better for the experience of last year.

“Their first home game is not an ideal draw for us. We’ll have to be very, very good to get something there.”

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