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Getafe president Ángel Torres has admitted he is unsure whether Crystal Palace intend to make Christantus Uche’s loan spell permanent, Soccernet.ng reports.
Ángel Torres hints the Premier League club may be reluctant to trigger Uche’s €20m (₦33.7 billion) purchase clause.
Speaking after receiving a lifetime achievement award on Monday, Torres told reporters, via Marca, that the current outlook on Uche’s future “doesn’t look good.”
Nigeria and Crystal Palace star Christantus Uche. Photo Credit: Palace/Facebook Uche, who joined Palace on deadline day on loan with a conditional obligation to buy, has struggled to break into Oliver Glasner’s first team.
While he had managed a goal and an assist in three early-season matches for Getafe, the 22-year-old has played just 79 minutes across eight appearances for Palace, fewer minutes than he registered in Spain before moving.
It has been revealed that the Eagles would be required to pay €20m if Uche reached 20 appearances.
Nigeria and Crystal Palace star Christantus Uche. Photo Credit: Palace/Facebook Subsequentpy, it was suggested that Glasner had already decided the striker was not part of his core plans, further weakening the likelihood of the clause being activated.
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Christantus Uche: Another potential move complicated by FIFA regulations
Despite reported interest from Premier League and Bundesliga clubs, Uche’s January options appear extremely limited.
FIFA’s two-club rule restricts players to official matches for only two teams in a single season. As Uche has already played for Getafe and Crystal Palace this campaign, he cannot feature competitively for a third club.
Nigeria Super Eagles and Crystal Palace star Christantus Uche. Photo Credit: Christantus Uche/X This means his only possible January exit route is a return to Getafe, provided his loan agreement includes a break clause. Without it, the Nigeria international will have to remain at Selhurst Park until the summer.
Torres, however, insists Getafe would not oppose his return. “He’s welcome back,” the club president said, before adding that their plan, should he return, would be “…bringing him back and selling him next year.”
Reports in Spain in recent weeks have already floated the possibility of Uche cutting short his Premier League stay, with a January recall considered increasingly realistic.
Christantus Uche. Photo Credit: NFF Comms Uche’s situation is a sharp contrast to the expectations that surrounded his late-summer move, where he was projected to offer depth and physicality to Palace’s attack. Instead, with only seven appearances across competitions and no starts recorded, his season has stalled.
Both clubs now face a decision point as Crystal Palace must weigh the financial implications of triggering or avoiding his purchase clause, while Getafe must consider whether reintegration ahead of a future sale suits their wider strategy.
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