Crystal Palace should replace Marc Guehi with Millwall 'player of the season' so far - opinion

It’s been a dramatic couple of days for Crystal Palace with confirmation of Marc Guehi’s upcoming departure followed by an all-action 3-3 draw against AFC Bournemouth at Selhurst Park.

Jean-Philippe Mateta was the star of the show in south London, after what had been a headline-making week for the talisman following his spat with former Eagles man Wilfried Zaha. His third goal came from the spot after Guehi won his side a penalty in injury time.

The centre-back has been at Crystal Palace since 2021 and has been a key cog in the Oliver Glasner machine. Guehi had been hotly linked with a move to Liverpool this summer but that fell through with the London outfit unable to find a suitable replacement.

Marc Guehi set for Crystal Palace departure

Guehi is out of contract at the end of the season and, speaking about his future on Friday, Glasner said: “I think Marc has already told us that he doesn't sign a new contract, so he will leave next year. The club wanted [him to stay]. They offered Marc a new contract. But he said, 'no, I want to make something different'. And that's normal. And for us, it's how we can deal with this situation? [What] is the best way to get this next step done? And that's all about how we are talking together."

Crystal Palace must now look for a suitable replacement for Guehi and must do so without planning on a cash injection from his sale. Luckily, the Premier League side have a penchant for spotting future stars.

Guehi himself was recruited after time in the Championship with Swansea City, following a similar path to that of Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise and Adam Wharton. Should Crystal Palace want to do their centre-back shopping in the second tier, then a certain Millwall star is likely to catch their attention.

Crystal Palace could target Millwall ‘player of the season’

That is 23-year-old Tristan Crama. The defender was only signed by the Lions in January but his versatility and physicality have dazzled in the Championship. Millwall boss Alex Neil initially deployed the player as a full-back due to an injury to Danny McNamara.

This season, with Japhet Tanganga sold to Sheffield United, Crama has moved into central defence and been the star of the show for Millwall. Even at this early stage of the campaign, Neil has labelled him the ‘player of the season’.

He told Southwark News: “Tristan Crama, so far this season, has been our player of the season in my view, hence the reason why he’s in the team. The guy next to [Jake] Cooper has been mobile, can take care of that whole side. We push our right-back up really high, and I think that Tristan and Japhet are perfect for that role [alongside Cooper].

“So that’s why I’ve plumped for Tristan Crama to be there. Has it affected us in terms of Tristan playing right-back? Yeah, but I’ve got to try and find what I believe the best partnership is.”

Crama spent five years at Brentford between 2020 and 2025 but never made an appearance for the senior side. The defender has had loan spells at Bristol Rovers and Exeter City but is without top flight experience and would be somewhat of a risk for Crystal Palace.

Despite having done business with Crystal Palace in January for the sale of Romain Esse, Millwall will no doubt be reluctant to enter talks over the sale of Crama. The Frenchman signed a long-term contract in January and, even if open to a sale, the Championship club could drive a hard bargain.

Crama could be worth the money though. West Brom captain and former Millwall man Jed Wallace has praised the defender and singled him out as one of the best in the division in that position.

He told the NTT20 podcast: “The one that impresses me every time I watch him play is Crama. I think he's been outstanding.

"For me, he looks like one of the best centre-halves in the division. He's 6 foot 4/6 foot 5, even when he's played at right-back, he's bombing down the wings. I think he's one that's been fantastic (for them)."

In other news, 'We All Know': Ex West Brom striker slams Millwall star for QPR gamesmanship.