Oxford United are eyeing a move for Crystal Palace forward Malcolm Ebiowei this summer.
According to Alan Nixon, the U’s have set their sights on the 20-year-old as they prepare for life in the Championship.
Des Buckingham’s side gained promotion from League One with a play-off final victory over Bolton Wanderers.
The club will be competing in the second tier of English football for the first time since 1999.
Ebiowei spent the final months of last season on loan with Belgian side RWD Molenbeek, having been unable to break into the Palace first team squad.
The forward has also spent time on loan with Hull City in the Championship, making 12 league appearances for the Tigers during the 2022/23 term (all stats from Fbref).
Here we look at the estimated size of his wages, using figures from Capology, and compare it to the rest of the Oxford United squad…
Malcolm Ebiowei’s Crystal Palace wage
Ebiowei made the switch to Crystal Palace during the summer of 2022, joining from Derby County as a free agent.
The winger put pen to paper on a five-year deal to keep him with the Eagles until 2027, but he has struggled to make much of an impact at Selhurst Park as we reach the final three years of this contract.
He is earning a wage worth £10,000 per week with the Premier League side, making him one of the lowest earners in their senior squad.
Jeserun Rak-Sakyi and Remi Matthews are the only players making less, with a salary of £7,500 a week each.
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As one of the junior members of the Premier League side, this comes as no surprise, but it remains to be seen how much of that salary Oxford United would be paying during his time on loan at the Kassam Stadium if a deal gets over the line.
If they were to cover his whole pay, then that would make him the highest earner in Buckingham’s squad.
That fact makes it unlikely they will pay the entire salary, but they could yet still pay a proportion of it as part of any agreement with Palace.
Oxford United’s highest earners
Oxford United’s highest earner at the club at the moment is Mark Harris, with the Welshman receiving £7,000 per week from the newly promoted side.
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Oxford United’s top 5 earners – 2024/25 (per Capology.com) |
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|---|---|---|---|
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Player |
Estimated Weekly Wage (£) |
||
|
Mark Harris |
7,000 |
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|
Joe Bennett |
6,500 |
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|
Owen Dale |
6,000 |
||
|
Rúben Rodrígues |
6,000 |
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|
Marcus McGuane |
4,500 |
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The 25-year-old made 43 appearances in League One last season, bagging 15 goals, and played a crucial part in their promotion to the second tier.
Josh Bennett is the next highest earner at the club, receiving £6,500 per week from the U’s ahead of their eagerly-anticipated return to this level.
Owen Dale and Rúben Rodrigues are two other high earners at the club, both receiving £6,000 a week each from the club.
Rodrigues was another important part of the side last season, scoring nine and assisting three from 44 league appearances.
However, Bennett and Dale both struggled for consistent minutes as they featured just 16 and 15 times in League One, respectively.
The pair will have to work hard to regain their place in the side, and maintain their role as high earners in the Oxford United squad.