Chelsea striker Loic Remy has left Stamford Bridge in order to head to Selhurst Park and join Alan Pardew’s Crystal Palace on a season-long loan, the club have confirmed.
The 29-year-old was signed for £10.5 million by José Mourinho in August of 2014. He was given a four year contract but failed to establish himself in the side of the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ during Chelsea’s double winning season of 2014-2015. He made 27 appearances in all competitions as the Blues went on to win the Premier League and League Cup. This was reduced to twenty appearances last season when Chelsea struggled to get any sort of momentum and Mourinho was eventually sacked.
Now he is re-uniting with Alan Pardew, a manager he worked with when he joined Newcastle United on loan during the 2013-2014 season. He scored fourteen goals that season and declared that the chance to work with Pardew again was a big part of the reason he chose Crystal Palace over other options. He said, “It was very important to know Alan Pardew as he is a very good manager and I am happy to be here”.
For his part, Pardew confirmed that he has been chasing the France international’s signature all summer. He said, “Loic has been a target of mine throughout this transfer window and I’m delighted the deal has been done. I brought him to Newcastle so I know what he is capable of and I am convinced he will be a quality addition to our squad as we evolve”.
The Crystal Palace manager believes that Remy’s experience will help the Eagles to re-find the form that they displayed under his management during the early stages of his time at the club. He said, “Loic has international and Champions League experience as well as being a Premier League title winner and is the latest example of the high calibre of players we have brought into the club during this transfer window”.
Remy has gained 31 caps for France so far in his career. His previous clubs include Lyon, Lens, Nice and Marseille. Though he failed to establish himself as a regular player under Mourinho in the 2014-2015 Premier League season he joins Palace with a personal honours list that includes two French Cups, a League Cup and a Premier League winners medal.