Crystal Palace could well be concerned with summer approaching and a large number of current players set to depart the club.

As many as 16 first-team stars could find themselves released at the end of the campaign with their contracts continuing to come to an end.

One player who the Eagles will certainly not care for departing is striker Connor Wickham.

Only 27 years of age, the former Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland striker has endured a woeful time at Selhurst Park since his arrival for a reported fee of £9m in 2015.

There was hope that he could have replicated his Black Cats form, but no such displays have materialised with Wickham having netted just eight Premier League goals for the club in 41 appearances in the competition.

It all means that each goal has cost Steve Parish and the Eagles over £1m.

Even a temporary loan spell at former employers Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship could not reignite his goalscoring touch, netting just twice in 13 appearances.

In fairness to Wickham, he has simply not been unable to find any form at all due to a number of persistent injury problems. Throughout his Palace career, he has missed a shocking 150 matches that he would otherwise have been eligible for due to a long list of problems.

That misfortune has really hampered his Palace career, and he seems highly unlikely to rectify that.

Initially left out of the Eagles’ Premier League squad at the beginning of the campaign, he has only just started making his return to the bench. Now with only a limited handful of games left for him to make an impression, he surely has to turn in some brilliant performances if he is to earn another deal.

However, considering the huge outlay for his signature and his poor return, as well as the fact that the club are still paying him approximately £60k per week, Parish will not include Wickham on the list of players he is desperate to keep at Selhurst Park and will instead look forward to the end of the now £900k-rated striker's contract.

AND in more news, take a look at which Palace star can feel the benefit of Christian Benteke's departure...