Crystal Palace defender Chadi Riad has insisted he didn’t think twice about joining the club this summer and can’t wait to come up against the Premier League’s best.
The defender has been speaking to Tampa Hoy about his move from Betis this summer as he gears up for pre-season in America with his new side.
The centre-back completed a €15m move from Real Betis earlier this month after Crystal Palace moved quickly to add him to Oliver Glasner’s squad.
An agreement was rapidly reached between all the parties involved, with Real Betis first signing the defender from Barcelona on a permanent basis for €9m before then selling him to Crystal Palace for €15m a day later.
It’s the player’s first move outside of Spain in his young career to date, having started at RCD Mallorca before joining Barcelona’s youth ranks in 2019.
He worked his way up the various levels at Camp Nou and La Masia before joining Real Betis on loan in July 2023, enjoying a strong campaign under Manuel Pellegrini last year that ultimately alerted Crystal Palace and convinced them to move for him.
Both they and Barcelona were very pleased with the deal they got, and it seems Riad was too, expressing his delight at making the move to the Premier League.
“My dream as a child has always been to play in the Premier League, which I think is currently one of the best leagues in the world, and when the offer came to me, I didn’t think twice and said yes,” he said.
“I am very delighted to be here. All these types of forwards that you see so much on TV and the truth is I really want to play against them and give them a good game.”
