Crystal Palace are closing in on appointing Lucien Favre as their new manager, according to The Daily Mail.

It has been almost a month since Roy Hodgson stepped down from his position of Palace boss at the end of the season.

A number of candidates have since been considered for the position, with Nuno Espirito Santo and Steve Cooper linked with taking over from the former England manager.

However, it now seems that Favre is in pole position to be in the dugout next term. He has reportedly held positive talks with the club's hierarchy, and is believed to be close to accepting the job at Selhurst Park.

It's added that Favre's reputation for developing young players is of significant appeal to Palace, who want their next boss to make the most of the academy talent in south London.

Are there any other clubs interested in Favre?

It's been claimed that Favre is also admired by fellow Premier League outfit Everton and Turkish side Fenerbahce.

It is understood that he favours a move to England, though, seemingly ruling out Fenerbahce, while he is said to be leaning towards taking the Palace job over succeeding Carlo Ancelotti at Everton.

Does Favre have a reputation for giving young players a chance?

He does indeed.

This was particularly evident during his most recent role at Borussia Dortmund, where he handed ample opportunities to the likes of Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland to flourish in the first-team.

His willingness to play youngsters continued at the start of the 2020/21 season when he immediately threw Jude Bellingham straight into the starting line-up in the Bundesliga. 

Favre's philosophy of giving young players the chance to shine has paid off, with Sancho and Bellingham currently away at this summer's Euros, while Haaland is now widely regarded as one of the best prospects in world football, as has been linked with a move to the Premier League this summer.

Could Favre revive a golden period for youngsters at Palace?

In the late 2000s, Palace decided to invest in youth, and it worked.

Back in 2008, Victor Moses and Nathaniel Clyne broke into the senior squad. Although they only stayed at Palace for two and four years respectively, they have since gone on to achieve success that proves that the Eagles were right to show faith in them despite their tender age.

Moses has won the Premier League and FA Cup, plus the Europa League on two occasions, while Clyne went on to make over 100 appearances for Liverpool.

Then in 2010, Wilfried Zaha was given his chance. In the years that followed, he briefly moved away to Manchester United, but he is now back at Palace and is the side's talisman having played almost 400 games for the club, scoring 68 goals.

This was a golden period for Palace's youth system, and is one that Favre might be able to revive if he lands the manager's post this summer.

The club have a number of players out of contract at the end of the month, and they may need to rely on their youngsters more next season due to this. Favre has shown in the past that he is happy to provide chances for young talents, and he may well be the perfect manager to allow the side's developing players to thrive just like Moses, Clyne and Zaha did over a decade ago.