Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has enjoyed a very encouraging start to his tenure in South East London since replacing the now-retired Roy Hodgson in February of this year. The Austrian, who last managed Eintracht Frankfurt and took them to Europa League glory in the 2021/22 season, tasted victory in his first game in charge of the Eagles; a comprehensive 3-0 win against Burnley at Selhurst Park.

Earlier this month, Palace then put a significant dent in the title hopes of Liverpool, pulling off a shock 1-0 win in front of a disgruntled Anfield crowd. Things have since really clicked, beating London rivals West Ham 5-2 and before a deserved midweek 2-0 win against a Newcastle United side pushing for European football next season.

Central to Palace's recent upturn in form has been the impressive Eberechi Eze, who has once again proved his consistent quality in a largely turbulent campaign. The 25-year-old has been utilised on the left of the two players who sit just behind Jean Philippe-Mateta in Glasner's 3-4-2-1, where he has thrived. The former Queens Park Rangers man has scored eight and assisted three this season, and has resultingly been linked with a £60m+ move away from Selhurst Park this summer.

With that being the case, here are three players who could consequently replace the Englishman if Palace do decide to sell up.

Daichi Kamada

Lazio

There could be an obvious and economic option this summer in the form of Japan international, Daichi Kamada. The 27-year-old has previously played under Glasner during their two seasons together at Eintracht, making 93 appearances across all competitions for the Austrian. In fact, Kamada is Glasner's fifth-highest-scoring player from throughout his entire managerial career with 25 goals. They know each other well, and at this juncture, reuniting could make a lot of sense.

Last summer, Kamada joined Italian side Lazio, on an initial one-year deal with the option of extending for a further three years. This puts him in an interesting position, as just a year later, he could become a free agent this summer. Corrierre dello Sport via (Sport Witness) report that the option of extension is in the attacking midfielder's hands, with Palace 'seriously trying' to bring the Japanese star to SE25. Kamada is a highly technical player, capable of playing several roles in both midfield and attack, which would make him a very logical replacement for Eze.

Raphael Onyedika

Club Brugge

Somebody who is a slightly less obvious replacement is Raphael Onyedika, who more commonly operates as a defensive midfielder for Belgian side Club Brugge. The Nigerian has established himself as one of the best young midfielders outside of Europe's top five leagues, with his consistent performances central to the club's impressive run to the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final.

Glasner has already seen the club's midfield ranks bolstered by the addition of 20-year-old Adam Wharton in January, who has endeared himself to the Palace faithful with his assured displays, and now the Eagles are reportedly looking to further strengthen centrally. The news comes from the Sun who report that a fee of around £20m should be enough to lure the 23-year-old away from Club Brugge. Any potential transfer could signal a change in shape to a three-man-midfield with Onyedika likely lining up alongside Wharton and Cheick Doucoure, who was one of the club's best players prior to his injury in November.

Emile Smith Rowe

Arsenal

The best-known name on this list is Arsenal attacking midfielder Emile Smith Rowe. Born locally in Croydon, Smith Rowe was widely regarded as one of the country's best talents of his age group at academy level, representing England at every youth level and proving integral to the Young Lions' success at the FIFA U17 World Cup in 2017.

Smith-Rowe's breakthrough into the Arsenal senior set-up came the following year, but it was in the 2021/22 season, when the 23-year-old really made his mark, scoring 10 Premier League goals and earning himself a nomination for the PFA and Premier League Young Player of the Year. Re-occurring injuries have meant that the midfielder's career at the Gunners has since somewhat stalled, with Smith Rowe seeing just 161 minutes last term, and 324 this campaign.

Despite his lack of minutes, a recent display against Luton Town reminded everyone of his quality, with Mikel Arteta praising his impressive "killer instinct to play forward". And the Eagles could offer him a lifeline.​ According to a report by the Daily Mail (via CaughtOffside), Palace are long-term admirers of Smith Rowe, and with funds likely to become available this summer through the sale of Eze and others, this could be the time the club decide to make their move.