Exclusive - Crystal Palace have narrowed their search for a new manager to replace Roy Hodgson to Swansea boss Steve Cooper, who has guided the Welsh club to the Championship playoffs.
90min understands that 41-year-old Cooper is the preferred choice of American majority owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer, although chairman Steve Parish still believes that current Burnley manager Sean Dyche could be the way to go.
Parish has admired Dyche for some time and the Clarets boss has been a name under consideration at Selhurst Park for over 12 months already. He was even in line for the job this time last year before Hodgson ultimately signed a new one-year deal to stay on.
But Cooper has emerged as one of the most highly thought of young coaches in English football and Palace believe that he ticks a lot of the boxes they are seeking in a new manager.
Ex-Chelsea boss Frank Lampard was previously interested in becoming the new Palace boss but hasn’t followed up that initial interest and is not in contention.
Cooper is currently overseeing Swansea’s efforts in the Championship play-offs after securing a fourth place finish in the final league table. Promotion could make it harder to tempt him away from the Liberty Stadium, although his camp have not put Palace off making an approach.
Palace are prepared to pay the potentially sizeable compensation fee to prise Cooper away from Swansea, as they also would be with Dyche. The expected fees are seen as no real problem because the club is determined to bring in the right manager ahead of an important season.
Even if Palace don’t pursue Dyche, he could still be on the lookout for a new challenge as he is keen to prove himself away from Burnley after almost nine years in charge - despite the Turf Moor hierarchy wanting him to sign a new long-term contract.
For more from Jamie Spencer, follow him on Twitter and Facebook!
Source: 90min
