Crystal Palace have reached an agreement with Villarreal to sign Spanish winger Yeremy Pino in a £26 million deal, with the 22-year-old expected to undergo a medical in the coming days. Despite having a £69m release clause, Villarreal opted to cash in due to Pino’s contract having less than two years remaining. The player is understood to be open to a move to Selhurst Park as the Eagles look to reinforce their attack.
The move comes just a week after Palace lost star forward Eberechi Eze, who completed a £60m switch to Arsenal. Eze, 27, was instrumental in Palace’s historic FA Cup-winning campaign last season, scoring 14 goals and providing 11 assists in 43 appearances. His departure left a major creative void that manager Oliver Glasner was determined to address before the transfer window closes on Monday.
Speaking after his side’s 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest at the weekend, Glasner expressed confidence that reinforcements were imminent. So far, Palace have had a relatively quiet summer window, adding goalkeeper Walter Benítez on a free transfer from PSV Eindhoven and left-back Borna Sosa from Ajax for £3m. They have also tabled an offer for Manchester City’s Switzerland international defender Manuel Akanji, valued at around £15m.
Pino, who came through the youth ranks at Las Palmas before joining Villarreal in 2017, has been regarded as one of Spain’s brightest young talents. Since making his senior debut in 2020, he has established himself as a regular in La Liga, scoring four goals in 34 appearances last season as Villarreal secured a fifth-place finish and Champions League qualification.
On the international stage, Pino has earned 15 caps for Spain, scoring three goals since making his debut in 2021. His arrival at Selhurst Park is seen as a statement signing for Palace, as the club looks to build on last season’s success while coping with the loss of their talismanic playmaker Eze.
