Football: Palace sell Ismael to Bordeaux

CRYSTAL PALACE have sold Valerien Ismael, their club record signing, to Bordeaux for pounds 1.5m. The deal represents a loss of more than pounds 1m on the fee Palace paid to Strasbourg for the French Under-21 international defender less than a year ago.

Ismael failed to impress last season and has been unable to win a place in Terry Venables' team during the current campaign. Palace's income from the sale of players since the start of the season is nearly pounds 5m, against spending of just under pounds 3m.

They have spent a little more on the Torquay United goalkeeper Matthew Gregg in a deal that could eventually be worth pounds 400,000 to the Devon club. Palace have paid an initial fee of around pounds 100,000 for the 19-year-old. Gregg had signed a contract after agreeing personal terms last Friday, but the deal was subject to his passing a medical, which he did yesterday.