Mark Bright hopeful Crystal Palace can beat Chelsea and Arsenal to top young talent after academy redevelopment

Mark Bright says he felt relieved for Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish after the club's academy redevelopment got the green light
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Mark Bright has warned Chelsea and other rivals that Crystal Palace will be primed to snap up south London's brightest talents once their academy redevelopment is completed.

Some of the Premier League's most exciting young players, including Callum Hudson-Odoi, Tammy Abraham and Joe Gomez, were raised in south London, but few come through the ranks at Palace.

With their new £20million academy a big step closer to completion following Bromley Council's seal of approval last month, the Eagles will be equipped in future to ensure they do not miss out on future generations.

"It is a great catchment area, everyone talks about south east London," Bright told the Beautiful Game Podcast. "Around 9-11 per cent of players in the Premier League are from south east London, that is our catchment area.

"Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are from our catchment area, but we didn't get them because Chelsea have got an excellent academy, excellent staff and are run really well. They take the best players, scoop them all up.

"Steve [Parish, the chairman] has always wanted a 50-50 blend [in the first team]. He would love to have five from the academy, that would be his ideal scenario. That has been Steve's dream.

"Josh [Harris] and Dave [Blitzer], the American owners, have been behind it. When the planning permission went through I felt a sense of relief for Steve, because he has put a lot of time into it and the plans.

"What you hope is that it will now be so impressive that you get those guys who will come to us rather than go to Arsenal or Chelsea, because we've got the facilities.

"[Having] the facilities in the catchment area should help us to scoop up more of the players."

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