Crystal Palce to offer youngsters on loan for free

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Bengaluru, August 29: South Londoners Crystal Palace have written to clubs in the lower leagues to offer some of their bright young players on loan for free as long as they are playing matches.

The cost of taking academy products on short-term deals from Premier League sides has become a huge problem for sides in the EFL unable to fork out their huge wages.

But, reports in England claim Palace have attempted to resolve the problem by making their youth products available for a free loan as long as they get the game time to build their careers.

The letter has been sent to all clubs in League One, League Two and the National League and is intended as an olive branch to build up a good working relationship going forward.

EFL clubs have raised big concerns with their bosses over the spiralling costs of taking youngsters on loan from Premier League sides, believing they were getting unrealistic.

Part of the problem is down to top flight sides charging big loan fees, while another big issue is passing the responsibility of paying the player wages also to the smaller clubs.

The kind of money now being paid to even the most junior young professionals in the Premier League is becoming too much for many EFL and National League sides to commit to.

But the offer from Mark Bright, Palace's director of under-23 development, has proposed a policy of sending players out on loan without seeking any contribution to their wages.

The only disadvantage is if a player does not start a game for any reason other than injury, the Eagles would seek a contribution of half the weekly wage.

One of the big concerns for Premier League sides is allowing youngsters to leave on loan, only to see their development stifled because they do not get enough playing time and it is indeed a brave and brilliant step from Crystal Palace to take an initiative to resolve this and not just thinking about money.

The lower league club would gain a promising young player without a fee, while Palace would benefit from their player continuing to learn and progress with regular competitive football.