"?Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew is hoping that one of his top transfer targets has a bad Euro 2016 campaign so that other teams do not come calling.
Pardew endured a disappointing season as the Eagles manager, as the South London club spiralled down the Premier League table after such a promising start, before losing 2-1 to Manchester United in the FA Cup final in May.
Writing in the "?Daily Mail, the manager claimed that he has watched a certain target play on six occasions, but hopes that he doesn't play well for the rest of the European Championship, as he would only attract attention from other clubs and possibly join one of them ahead of Palace.
"My staff and I have set up a "?WhatsApp' group so we can have instant feedback from matches we are watching and players we like," he wrote.
"I'm not giving you any secrets but there is a player who has played already that I've scouted six times.
"He played well and as a manager you are thinking "? please don't play too well or everyone will be after you. You don't want him sending out too many signals. We are all after a player who can make a difference "? and at a good price."
The Eagles boss was also full of praise for his midfielder Jonny Williams, insisting that the player's performance against Slovakia was the best he'd seen from since he returned to Palace.
"I've read Slaven Bilic in these pages and also marvelled at Dimitri Payet's goal; we've seen Gareth Bale score one of his free-kicks and cause concern for every Englishman. But the player I want to talk about is Jonny Williams.
"His performance for Wales against Slovakia was the best I have seen from him since I've come back to Crystal Palace.
"That was the player they've been talking about! He's had terrible injuries and a couple of loans, at Nottingham Forest and MK Dons, that didn't really work out for him but he has real love from Selhurst Park and he was terrific on Saturday evening."