Southampton have had a loan offer rejected for Crystal Palace’s Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, with the south London club not willing to lose the winger to a rival, according to Sky Sports.
The wide forward made just eight first-team appearances for the Eagles last season, with a serious hamstring injury restricting his minutes. However, this came after a fruitful loan spell at Charlton Athletic in League One, where he netted 15 goals in 43 appearances.
Southampton Have Offer Rejected for Rak-Sakyi
fter an initial period on Chelsea’s books as a youngster, Rak-Sakyi joined Palace’s academy in 2019, where he has since developed through the south Londoners’ youth teams. A stint at Charlton in 2022/23 saw the winger’s stock rise substantially, thriving in England’s third division at the Valley and being called “wonderful” by then manager Dean Holden.
Now, despite a frustrating injury-ravaged campaign at Selhurst Park, the 21-year-old is wanted by a vast majority of the Championship. His parent club are eager to grant him this opportunity to continue to mature as a player, looking to sanction a short-term move to one of the many suitors at this level.
However, the emergence of Southampton as an interested party has complicated the situation. Palace and the player have conflicting desires, with Rak-Sakyi eager to play in the top flight, while his club aren’t willing to lose one of their most prized young assets to a Premier League competitor.
Sky Sports report that Southampton’s initial enquiry into a loan deal with an option to buy has been swiftly dismissed. The Saints may return with a slightly different proposal, but Martin may feel Palace’s staunch stance may be difficult to dissuade.
The former Norwich player is keen on bolstering his forward options ahead of his side’s return to the Premier League. The south coast club won promotion after beating Leeds 1-0 at Wembley in May in the play-off final, and they feel an additional wide player to compete with the likes of Ryan Fraser and Samuel Edozie could be a valuable addition that contributes to them securing their top flight status next season.
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