Crystal Palace chairman wouldn’t stop Alan Pardew joining Real Madrid

We're not sure where the talk of Alan Pardew joining Real Madrid first came from, but it seems Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish is taking it seriously.

Parish admitted the club "wouldn't stand in his way" if the Spanish giants moved for their manager as a replacement for under-fire Rafa Benitez. Palace currently sit fifth in the Premier League table, having lost just one of their last eight matches in the competition, leading Pardew's name to be linked with a number of top jobs including the Manchester United hotseat. "Everybody wants to get to the best point they can in their career, but I know right now Alan's very happy here," Parish told BBC Radio 5 Live. "He's not thinking about anything else other than being here, we're not thinking about anything else other than him being here, and if something comes up because we're successful, what can we do about it? We're going to have to cross that bridge at the time," he added. With Madrid also being linked with a move for Leicester striker Jamie Vardy, the Pardew rumour might not even be the strangest to feature the club.