According to L'Équipe, Crystal Palace is looking to strengthen its defense and has targeted Dutch defender Ruben Kluivert. Olympique Lyonnais, needing to generate sales, will not block his departure if an offer around €20 million is forthcoming.

Ruben Kluivert was excluded from Olympique Lyonnais' squad for their home match against Le Havre on Saturday evening, with good reason: the Dutch defender is poised to transfer to Crystal Palace in the coming days.

After weeks of discussions, negotiations between the two clubs accelerated on Friday following Ecuador's Joel Ordóñez's failed medical in London. Crystal Palace then turned their attention to the 25-year-old Lyon defender, whom they had previously scouted in person during Lyon's 3-0 victory over Sparta Prague in the second leg of the Champions League third qualifying round.

Kluivert arrived last summer from Casa Pia for €3.78 million on a contract through June 2030. After impressing at Lyon, his value has more than quintupled, allowing Olympique Lyonnais to make a substantial profit on his sale. Crystal Palace has yet to submit an official bid, but if negotiations progress over the weekend, they could offer close to €20 million for the Dutch international, potentially leading to Kluivert's imminent move to London.

Should the transfer materialize, Olympique Lyonnais must return 15% of the value added to Casa Pia. At a final fee of €20 million, this would amount to approximately €2.5 million. Beyond Crystal Palace, another Premier League side and a European club have also made contact with the player's representatives in recent hours.

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