Crystal Palace director Dougie Freedman set to join Saudi second division side | OneFootball

Crystal Palace have confirmed that highly-rated sporting director Dougie Freedman, will step down from his role at the end of the season to join a second-tier club in Saudi Arabia.

Freedman’s move has already been sorted, but he is expected to finish the season with the club and unofficially oversee their summer transfer window.

The 50-year-old is a former Palace player and manager. He returned to the club as sporting director in 2017 and has been crucial in the club’s football operations, talent identification, and recruitment.

He was the mastermind behind the signings of some of Palace’s brightest talents, including Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi, and Adam Wharton and played a huge role in luring head coach Oliver Glasner to the club.

Freedman is widely considered one of the best-talented spotters in the country and has turned down several offers to leave Palace in the past.

He was lined up to replace Dan Ashworth at Newcastle United and was on Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s radar for a job at Manchester United but turned down both opportunities.

However, he’s now set to call time on a very successful eight-year spell at Selhurst Park ahead of a lucrative move across the desert.

Former Palace sporting director Ian Moody has been touted as a possible replacement for Freedman.

Moody served as director between 2013 and 2014 but was forced to step down following allegations that he shared racist, sexist and homophobic texts with Malky Mackay while the pair worked at Cardiff City.

Since leaving Palace, Moody has served as managing director of Sapienza Football Consulting and has maintained close ties with Palace co-owner Steve Parish.

Club sources have played down talks of a potential return for the Englishman.

However, he has been spotted watching games at Selhurst Park on several occasions and has rebuilt his reputation since the controversy that threatened to end his career in football.