Crystal Palace chairman insists Dougie Freedman has NOT held talks with Man Utd

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has heaped praise on sporting director Dougie Freedman, but insisted there have been no talks with Manchester United over a potential departure.

Former striker Freedman was a Palace favourite during his playing career, scoring 107 times in 368 appearances across 11 seasons in two separate spells at the club.

He went onto manage the Eagles between 2011 to 2012, before also having stints in charge of Bolton and Nottingham Forest.

Freedman then returned to Selhurst Park in 2017 as sporting director and has received widespread acclaim for his work in the transfer market, with reports last week claiming Sir Jim Ratcliffe was eyeing-up the 49-year-old once his £1.3bn deal to buy 25 per cent of United was completed.

However, Parish poured cold water on these claims but insisted the reports are testament to Freedman's work at the club.

'You would have to get into the minds of those people (Manchester United decision makers) wouldn't you,' he told the Rest is Football.

'I certainly don't think there's been any conversations. It's flattering for the club.

'You guys live in the world where 50 per cent of the stories in the media are true. 50 per cent are not. We just don't know which ones yet.'

Some of Freedman's major successes in the market have been signing the likes of Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise and Marc Guehi from QPR, Reading and Chelsea respectively.

Meanwhile, he was also said to have played a key role in Conor Gallagher's hugely successful season-long loan move from the Blues in 2021.

And Parish had nothing but praise for Freedman's recruitment work. '(He's been) really important,' he added.

'He's a brilliant guy. He was the second manager I had at the club. He was instrumental in us getting