Crystal Palace have taken up the option to extend Jordan Ayew's contract by 12 months, in what is Patrick Vieira's first 'big' call of the summer.
The lowdown
Vieira is already shaping his squad for his second season at the helm after steering Palace to a 12th-place finish in his first campaign.
He selected Ayew in 23 starting line-ups over the course of 21/22 and brought him on from the bench a further eight times.
The forward can now look ahead to a fifth season at Palace, having joined in a £2.5million permanent deal in 2019 after a successful season-long loan.
The three-year agreement that he signed on his arrival at Selhurst Park had been due to expire in the summer.
The latest
London World journalist Rahman Osman tweeted that 'Palace have triggered Jordan Ayew's one-year extension at the club'.
It is the first 'big' move Vieira is making ahead of the off-season, but there are plenty more to come in a 'big summer'.
They're 'still working' on new deals for Cheikhou Kouyate, James McCarthur 'and a few others'.
Between them, Kouyate and McArthur have made 390 appearances for Palace, pitching in with 22 goals and 28 assists.
The verdict
When it comes to end product, Ayew's record is underwhelming. The £5.4million-rated ace finished the season with just six direct goal involvements (3G, 3A). And across his Palace career as a whole, he's only managed to net 15 times in 133 appearances.
But Vieira recognises the other ways in which Ayew contributes.
His work off the ball is outstanding, with the 31-year-old ranking in the 96th percentile among positional peers for tackles per 90 minutes, the 93rd for tackles and the 82nd for interceptions (via FBRef).
The manager has dubbed his application 'fantastic', while team-mate Christian Benteke has described him as 'aggressive'.
In other news, Palace are ready to move for this Europa League finalist.