- Crystal Palace could be set to part ways with Yeremy Pino just one year after bringing the Spanish winger to Selhurst Park, with reports from Spain claiming the player is eager to return to Villarreal.
The 23-year-old is understood to have informed those close to him of his desire to head back to the club where he first made his name, and Villarreal are now working on a deal that could see him return to La Liga before the start of the new campaign.
According to reports, Crystal Palace are prepared to sanction a sale, although the South London club are demanding a fee of around €45 million for the Spain international. Palace invested approximately €30 million to secure Pino’s services and are keen to make a significant profit should an agreement be reached.
Pino arrived in England with a strong reputation after emerging as one of Villarreal’s brightest talents. Having come through the club’s academy system, he made over 100 appearances for the Yellow Submarine and became a regular in both domestic and European competition before attracting interest from across the continent.
While his time at Crystal Palace has included flashes of the quality that made him one of Spain’s most highly-rated young attackers, a return to familiar surroundings now appears to be his preferred option.
Reports in Spain suggest Villarreal are confident they can finance the move and are already assessing the structure of a potential deal. The club view Pino as an ideal replacement for Tajon Buchanan and believe his previous experience within the squad would allow him to settle immediately.
The player himself is said to be pushing for the transfer and is willing to wait until after the World Cup before finalising personal terms.
“🚨 ÚLTIMA HORA. Yeremy Pino quiere regresar a Villarreal.
🪙 Crystal Palace dispuesto. Exige 45M. Lo recaudó por 30M. Villarreal maneja la situación. Lo pagará.
😍 Pino quiere volver. Acordará tras el World Cup. Aún no tienen acuerdo. Será recambio de Buchanan.”
Despite the growing optimism surrounding the transfer, sources indicate that no agreement has yet been reached between the two clubs. Negotiations are expected to continue over the coming weeks, with several financial details still requiring resolution before any deal can be completed.
For Crystal Palace, the departure of Pino would represent a notable change to their attacking options, but the prospect of a sizeable profit could prove difficult to ignore. Villarreal, meanwhile, are hopeful of bringing one of their former stars back to the Estadio de la Cerámica and are prepared to continue discussions until a breakthrough is found.
As things stand, the player’s desire to return is clear, but both clubs still have work to do before the transfer can become a reality.
