Crystal Palace make Romain Esse decision as Preston North End circle | OneFootball

Crystal Palace have left winger Romain Esse to train with the under-21s as Preston North End lurk.

Crystal Palace have left Preston North End target Romain Esse to train with their under-21s as they try to move him out of the club before the end of the summer transfer window.

The winger was signed by the Eagles in January 2025 from London rivals Millwall after he burst onto the scene as a teenager, with the deal setting them back an initial £12m, which could rise to £14.5m with add-ons.

Sadly, Esse's Premier League dream at Selhurst Park never became a reality, as he made just 11 top flight appearances for his new club, scoring a solitary goal.

The 21-year-old was then sent out on loan to Championship high-flyers Coventry City in January 2026, where he scored twice and laid on one assist in 17 league outings, as Frank Lampard's men won the second tier title.

Despite this, it seems Palace are keen to cut their losses and move Esse on as quickly as possible, with a new report from transfer insider Alan Nixon suggesting the former Millwall prodigy has been left to train with the under-21s with Preston circling.

Crystal Palace make Romain Esse decision as Preston lurk

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It's been a summer of change at Selhurst Park, with Palace preparing for life under new boss Pierre Sage, and coming off the back of two trophy-winning campaigns under Oliver Glasner.

With that in mind, it seems Esse doesn't have a place in the squad as it stands under the new head coach, and Nixon's previous reports revealed that the Eagles were happy to let him leave on loan.

The first report from the journalist in late July stated that Championship outfit Preston were keen on landing the wide player, as he would meet the requirements of Paul Heckingbottom's new system.

Since then, further reports have suggested that Belgian side Club Brugge, who recently signed fellow Englishman Freddie Potts from West Ham, were keen on signing Esse, but the player is reportedly unsure about a move to Belgium.

However, Nixon's latest development has revealed that Palace have left the young winger to train with the under-21s, as they look to secure a move for him as swiftly as possible.

The London club is said to be keen on a permanent move from Esse, but many of his potential suitors, including Preston, are only looking to sign him on a temporary basis.

Romain Esse mustn't let disappointing Crystal Palace stint define his career

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Go back to December 2024 and Esse was one of the hottest young prospects in the entire EFL, as he was impressing for Millwall at just 19 years old. Now, he feels like somewhat of a forgotten man.

A move to the Premier League with Crystal Palace seemed to be a match made in heaven when it came around, given the club's track record of nurturing young talent from the EFL such as Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise.

However, Esse simply hasn't followed the same trajectory as the aforementioned stars and a lack of minutes has ultimately hindered his development.

Now, his Palace career looks set to come to a disappointing end before it ever got going, but he mustn't let this one disappointing stint at Selhurst Park define the rest of his career.

At 21, Esse still has plenty of time to develop, and proved last season he can still cut it at the very top of the Championship. A move to an ambitious club like Preston could do him the world of good, as he would get the chance to show his talent on a consistent basis.