Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish insists the club will not be forced into selling their top players this month.
Eagles will not be bullied into selling best players
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish insists the club will not be forced into selling their top players this month.
Several Eagles stars have been linked with moves away from Selhurst Park, including Nathaniel Clyne, Wilfried Zaha and Darren Ambrose.
But Parish says the Championship side are yet to receive any formal offers for their key players during the current transfer window.
And the chairman is adamant that Palace will only sell if a deal is the best option for the club.
No battle
"I read in the papers this week that we are in a battle to keep our best players," Parish told the
Croydon Advertiser.
"We are not in a battle at all. They are our players and it is up to us if we want to sell them.
"It's totally our decision and we won't be forced into anything that we don't want to do.
"At the moment we are not in any negotiations to sell a single one of them. Of course every player has a price but if we get an offer we will only accept it if we think it is the right deal for the club."
He added: "We are trying to build this club and are not here just to let our best players go.
"I think it is possible that one or two of the squad might go out on loan before the window shuts, but unless someone comes in with a firm offer for one of our players then nothing will happen.
"We're not looking to sell."
Young right-back Clyne, a reported target of Manchester United, is out of contract at the end of the season but will not to be able to leave on a free transfer due to his age.
Any club that signed him in the summer would be liable to pay Palace compensation and Parish insists the Eagles will not be bullied into selling him early for a low price.
Options
"The situation with Nathaniel's contract is obviously a factor and something we would have to consider if we got a bid for him," he added.
"It is a slightly different situation but that doesn't mean we would be forced into accepting an offer we thought was too low.
"Because of his age we'd get compensation if he left in the summer anyway so we'd have to balance how good the offer was and it if was so big we thought we could strengthen the team by selling him."
