Veteran Crystal Palace defender Joel Ward says he is excited by the signing of Eddie Nketiah ahead of the player's debut this weekend. The Eagles splashed the cash on the former Arsenal man in a deal that could rise to PS30 million.

To secure the deal, they had to offload Jordan Ayew, who is making a swift return to Selhurst Park this weekend, and also send Odsonne Edouard out on loan. However, Edouard signed a one-year contract extension before his departure, LondonWorld has been told.

Ward believes it was worth it, expressing his enthusiasm for the new addition. He said, "Sharp, sharp, really sharp. I am excited by that [signing Nketiah], really excited by that. I think what he is going to offer us is something different."

The English forward was signed on deadline day but was not registered in time to play against Chelsea. He is expected to make his debut in front of his home fans when Leicester visit.

Additionally, they reached an agreement with Eberechi Eze, with the midfielder committing to stay at the club for at least one more season despite interest from Manchester United and Tottenham throughout the summer. Regarding exits, they lost Michael Olise to Bayern Munich but signed Ismaila Sarr from Marseille to soften the blow. The Eagles have lost two and drawn one of their first three league games of the season.