Crystal Palace have undergone a significant period of transformation this summer, with Oliver Glasner leaving and taking the Nottingham Forest hot seat.

Maxence Lacroix has been sold, and the likes of Daniel Munoz and Adam Wharton are routinely linked with a number of elite suitors, both being among the finest players in their positions in the Premier League.

Sage, 47, has spent much of his coaching career involved down the amateur corridors of French football. But he's hardly unqualified, named the Ligue 1 Manager of the Year last season after leading RC Lens to a second-place finish, competitive until the business end against Paris Saint-Germain.

Sage is an aggressive and vertical coach, and he knows the French scene. That's why he's been desperate to sign Lamine Camara from Monaco - though that bid has fallen flat.

Why Crystal Palace wanted to sign Camara

Crystal Palace have thus far managed to turn away the sniffing snoots of many Premier League rivals, all eager to sign pass master Wharton.

A deal to bring over Camara has fallen flat, but the Senegalese could have worked in tandem with Wharton, not established himself as the England international's replacement.

Camara, 22 years old, is one of the most complete midfielders in Europe right now - and he's only getting better. Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United all have a vested interest in him, but Palace have already seen a £30m offer flat-out rejected, effectively ending their hopes of completing a deal.

Camara is not the most physically dominant of midfielders, but he is combative and creative when on the ball. Crystal Palace will play Europa League football this season after winning last year's Conference League. The hope was that this would have enticed one of the continent's most exciting up-and-comers.

Their bid might have fallen flat, but the Eagles are still in a strong position at the start of a new era. They must now pivot, with the decision-makers setting their sights on a Camara-like alternative.

Crystal Palace eyeing move for Camara-like midfielder

Sadly, it appears that Crystal Palace have been well and truly taken out of the race to sign Camara, but Steve Parish is switched on, and has already trained his sights on an exciting fallback, someone with a likeness to Camara's all-action ability.

According to reports in Poland, Crystal Palace are watching the situation of AC Milan midfielder Youssouf Fofana very closely indeed, with the 27-year-old surplus to requirements at his current club.

Besiktas have already opened talks as they pursue a €30m (£25m) deal, while Tottenham Hotspur are also interested. This one is wide open, but Palace have all the information they need to act and secure a complete midfield presence for Sage, having 'expressed interest' in a potential deal of their own.

Hailed as a "magnificent player" for his time with Monaco in France by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Fofana was heralded as a sensation for his time in his homeland, and while a move to Milan hasn't had the desired effect, there's no question that he has the skillset to succeed in the Premier League.

Indeed, Fofana is not all that dissimilar to Camara, with the Senegal international growing into his skin at Monaco over the past few years after Fofana's sale, ostensibly filling his boots.

There's no question that Fofana is at something of a low ebb, but form is temporary, as they say, and Palace could help him back to the former level that drew so many plaudits, his Camara-esque performances in France attracting top suitors.

Across the 2023/24 season, Fofana's last in Ligue 1, he showcased a staggering depth of athleticism, recovering 7.2 balls per game and completing 60% of his dribbles. The 25-time France star has shown that he has the ability to hit an elite stride in the past, and perhaps Sage and a secure and fluent Palace project can bring him back to the fore.

Sage is an exciting and progressive manager. He also knows what he wants, and while Camara is frustratingly out of reach, Fofana could be the perfect fallback, ensuring the new-look system still fires on all cylinders over the coming campaign.