Pierre Sage took charge of Crystal Palace in June after Oliver Glasner left the club. Glasner had guided Palace through its most successful period in history, including a historic Conference League victory. Sage has faced challenges in his new role, including early-season losses to Everton and Manchester City. Additionally, there has been uncertainty about the futures of key players from the Conference League-winning squad. Ismaïla Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta have remained at the club despite interest from Liverpool and Aston Villa, respectively. Palace added four new players this summer but missed out on Malick Fofana, a last-minute transfer saga involving Sunderland. Sage acknowledged Palace's reputation for making late transfers, noting the club has signed 10 players on the final day in the past three summers. He emphasized the need to acquire players that fit the club's specific needs, despite frustrations over not securing a top-class replacement for Maxence Lacroix, who was sold to Chelsea in July. Sage had targeted Ismaëlo Ganio from Lens, but the player signed a new contract in August, prompting Palace to look elsewhere. Efforts to sign Joel Ordóñez from Club Brugge failed due to injury, while attempts to bring in Chrislain Matsima and Raphaël Le Guen also fell through. The arrival of Axel Disasi and Honest Ahanor on loan will help address the defensive gap, but questions remain about whether Lacroix's leadership has been adequately replaced. Attempts to sign Mamadou Sangaré from Lens were unsuccessful, as he opted to join Brentford instead. Sage was heavily involved in trying to bring in Fofana from Lyon, but the effort was unsuccessful despite multiple attempts on deadline day. Palace signed Dario Osorio from Midtjylland on a loan deal with an obligation to buy next summer for £26 million, though he mainly plays on the right flank. Palace has strengthened its attacking options with Dwight McNeil and Evann Guessand, while the return of Ben Chilwell and the late addition of Quinten Timber have added depth to the midfield. Despite breaking their transfer record twice in January, Palace's summer net spend of nearly £40 million in profit was the second lowest in the division. Over the past five seasons, Hull and Coventry have invested more than Palace's £90 million despite being in the Championship. Sage dismissed suggestions of frustration with the summer signings, drawing parallels to his parents' experience running a brasserie in Belley, France. He emphasized that the club must work with its available resources. The absences of Sarr and Mateta, whose departure hopes were delayed by injury, may affect Palace's performance against Fulham. Sarr is expected to return from a groin injury for the game against Ipswich the following week but needs time to recover from Liverpool's interest, which led to his agent criticizing his treatment. Glasner's success at Fulham, including three victories in 2025, including a quarter-final win on the way to the FA Cup, may provide a challenge for Palace in their upcoming match.