MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – APRIL 26: Rob Holding of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal FC at Etihad Stadium on April 26, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
Rob Holding is yet to break into Crystal Palace’s Premier League side since his summer move, which could be costly for Arsenal.
Holding takes a selfie with a fan while on a tour of the U.S. Capitol Building on July 20, 2023. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Former Arsenal defender Rob Holding left the Gunners for Crystal Palace over the summer, but he’s yet to make a significant impact with his new club.
Holding joined Palace on deadline day at the start of September, which was too late to make the squad against Wolves that weekend. The good news is that he’s been named in all five Palace squads since.
However, Holding is yet to play a Premier League minute since the move, making his only appearance in a 3-0 League Cup defeat to Manchester United.
To make matters worse, Palace have had a very good defensive record lately, keeping clean sheets in three Premier League games in a row.
That includes a game against United, the very team they conceded three against in the cup.
The defensive partnership of Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen looks like it will be hard to break up in the league, and Palace’s early cup exit means they won’t play in any other competitions until their FA Cup run kicks off.
This could all end up being relevant to Arsenal, and not just because Holding had many fans in north London wishing him well for the future.
When the centre-back completed his £3.5m move to Palace over the summer, only around £1m of that fee was a guaranteed payment, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.
The remaining £2.5m were add-on payments. Assuming those were linked to appearances, as is often the case, Holding doesn’t currently look likely to hit his targets.
It’s very early on in Holding’s Palace career, and perhaps the situation will quickly change as the season progresses. But the initial signs aren’t too encouraging.
