Crystal Palace are close to a full agreement to hire Pierre Sage from RC Lens, with ESPN reporting that the Premier League club will pay the French side €5 million ($5.8m) for the 47-year-old manager.
Crystal Palace Agree Lens Compensation For Sage
ESPN's Julien Laurens reported that a deal was agreed in principle on Tuesday after several days of negotiations between Crystal Palace and RC Lens. Sage had already agreed personal terms with Palace, but he still had two years left on his Lens contract.
The compensation figure is the key detail in the move. Palace are not signing a free agent coach; they are paying Lens for a manager who delivered a strong single season in France and had time remaining on his deal.
Lens owner Joseph Oughourlian was disappointed to lose Sage after one season, according to ESPN, but respected his desire to join the Premier League club.
Pierre Sage Leaves Lens After French Cup Run
Sage's rise has been quick. ESPN noted that he moved sharply up the coaching ladder over the past 2½ years, first taking Lyon from the bottom of the table into contention for European places.
He then led Lens to their first French Cup trophy and a second-place finish in Ligue 1, keeping pressure on Paris Saint-Germain in the title race. Sage was also named Ligue 1 Manager of the Season.
Those results explain why Palace moved for him after missing out on another target. ESPN reported that Sage became the leading contender after Palace failed to lure outgoing Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola to Selhurst Park. Iraola has since taken charge at Liverpool.
Palace Move On From Glasner Era
The appointment would come after Oliver Glasner confirmed in January that he intended to leave Crystal Palace. ESPN reported that Glasner had accused chairman Steve Parish of abandoning him and his squad, and the German has since been linked with AC Milan.
Palace are trying to build from an unusually successful period rather than simply recover from a poor season. Glasner led the London club to three trophies in 12 months, ending with a Conference League final victory over Rayo Vallecano.
That win means Crystal Palace will play in next season's Europa League, giving Sage a demanding first job in English football if the agreement is completed. The basics of the task are clear enough: Palace are paying for a coach with recent momentum, and they need that momentum to survive the move from Lens to the Premier League.