Palace's Parish cools Clyne rumours

In a similar way to when a rather nice looking girl walks past a bloke down the street, when a big Premier League club comes calling for a young player, they’re head is inevitably turned.

Where this metaphor falls down is the presence of the young player’s club trying to prevent said head from being turned. What would represent the role of the club in the ‘fit girl’ metaphor? The bloke’s prudish, older friend maybe? An extreme respect for women that prevents them from ‘checking out’?

Anyway, where this tortured opening is headed is the case of Nathaniel Clyne, Crystal Palace and Manchester United. Last week, a story went around that United had signed a pre-contract agreement with Clyne that would see the player and £2.5m cross somewhere around the Midlands as they head in their respective opposite directions.

However, Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has waded into the story, insisting that the only deal currently regarding Clyne is one with a Crystal Palace logo on the top corner of it titled ‘New contract offer’ or similar words with the same basic meaning.

Parish told the London Evening Standard; “We haven't agreed anything with anybody and we still have a contract offer on the table for Nathaniel. We have a good relationship with both him and his agent and I think he is enjoying his football here and can see the club are going forward.”

Despite the dismissal of the link, Parish did concede that should United  come a calling, there was little he could do to stop Clyne from taking up the opportunity.

He added; “But if there is a deal to be done with Manchester United, it would be hard to stand in the kid's way. If our young players are to leave, then at least we want them to go onto something bigger and better - and Manchester United are who they are.”

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