Stoke City must accept Crystal Palace transfer advances on one condition this summer | OneFootball

Junior Tchamadeu is the subject of transfer interest from the Eagles

Stoke City right-back Junior Tchamadeu has been linked with a move to Premier League side Crystal Palace ahead of the summer transfer window, and while the Potters will want to keep him for next season, they should sell him to the Eagles if they meet the reported asking price of upwards of £4.2 million for his services.

Cameroonian international Tchamadeu has not long completed his second season as a Stoke player. He often struggled to impact games in the Potters' turbulent first-half of the last campaign, but came into his own under Mark Robins over the last few months, and ended the season as one of the club's most impressive and improved players.

While Stoke will no doubt want to retain his services beyond the coming months, they are in no position to turn down decent money for a player like the 21-year-old, who has only really been a regular in their starting eleven since the turn of the year.

FA Cup winners Palace are believed to be interested in signing him this summer, and according to recent reports, Stoke want at least £4.2 million (€5m) to sanction a sale. They should let him move to Selhurst Park if the Eagles are able to meet that asking price for his signature, as it would represent a great bit of business.

Junior Tchamadeu has bounced back to be a key man for Stoke

Tchamadeu joined Stoke as a fresh-faced 19-year-old from Colchester United nearly two years ago, and after a debut campaign of few opportunities, he was entrusted to be the club's main right-back last summer after Ki-Jana Hoever did not return following two impressive loan spells.

The position became a particularly troublesome one for Stoke in the early stages of this season, under both Steven Schumacher and Narcis Pelach, with many supporters left wondering why the club had not signed someone new that could play there, as some poor performances at the start of the campaign saw him dropped from the starting eleven.

Centre-back Ben Wilmot was instead deployed on the right of the back-four by Pelach, as Stoke went unbeaten in the four games that he started in October and November, and Tchamadeu looked to be in a similar position to what he had experienced in the previous campaign as a second-choice.

The 21-year-old was soon reinstated to the starting lineup after Wilmot picked up an injury, and he enjoyed a successful revival following Robins' January appointment, with the former Coventry City boss only choosing to rest him once in the final 12 games of the campaign.

He was a key player in their upturn in performances towards the end of the term, and was able to fire them to a huge victory with a goal and an assist against QPR in March, in what remains his finest outing for the club since he joined over 18 months ago.

Boss Robins highlighted his showing as a "standout performance," but insisted that he has to "keep working" to achieve his goals beyond this season.

It is clear that he is now one of the first names on the teamsheet for Stoke heading into 2025/26, and for good reason too. It comes as little surprise to see him linked with a higher move, and it would surely be one that appeals from a personal standpoint, given that he was born and raised in the capital.

Stoke should sell Tchamadeu to Crystal Palace on one condition this summer

Tchamadeu's strengths have been made much clearer as his time in ST4 has progressed. He can be prone to switching off defensively, but is a burly, strong right-back who is able to sprint away from an opponent and progress the ball up the pitch at a great pace.

While he has no doubt impressed fans and coaches alike at the bet365 Stadium over recent months, it is fair to say that he is far from the finished product as yet, at just 21-years-old.

With that said, while it does come as no surprise to see a club like Palace interested in his services, many connected with Stoke, and possibly Tchamadeu himself, would admit that he is not quite ready to be a regular for a top-flight team right now.

Being a Premier League side, the Eagles are not exactly short on funds to bring in new players in the upcoming summer window, especially given that they could well be selling the likes of Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi for massive fees in the coming months.

Stoke are, therefore, well within their right to demand a fee of upwards of £4m for Tchamadeu, based on his current ability and potential, and so they should only sell him to the FA Cup winners if they are happy to match said price tag.

The Potters are in no position, from a financial standpoint, to turn down decent bids for their players this summer, and the 21-year-old is no different. It would be a shame to see him leave, but when the small fee paid to Colchester to sign him and the two years left on his contract are both taken into account, they should sell if the Eagles offer the right amount.