Crystal Palace are reportedly keeping tabs on an “intelligent” former Premier League player, with numerous other clubs also keen on snapping him up at the end of the season.
Crystal Palace transfer news
The Eagles could well be looking to make new signings when the January transfer window opens, having suffered a stuttering start to the season, with pressure increasingly growing on manager Roy Hodgson.
It remains to be seen how much funds will be made available for fresh faces to arrive at Selhurst Park, but it would be a surprise and a disappointment if Palace didn’t do any business ahead of the second half of the season.
While January rumours have been swirling of late, with Newcastle United attacker Jacob Murphy seen as a target for Palace, a new claim focuses on a possible signing next summer.
Crystal Palace want Sam Greenwood
According to a fresh claim from TEAMtalk, Crystal Palace are one of a number of clubs who are interested in signing Leeds Uniteds Sam Greenwood, who joined Middlesbrough on loan in the summer transfer window.
“We understand that West Ham, Crystal Palace, Brentford, Fulham, Leicester and Southampton have all been keeping tabs on Greenwood’s progress in the North-East. Should Boro earn promotion, however, then a permanent stay at the Riverside could well become a very serious option for the 21-year-old.”
It does look as though a January move is unlikely to come to fruition, however, considering Greenwood is contracted to Boro until the end of the season, so a switch to south London could materialise once the campaign has ended instead.
Greenwood could be an astute signing by Palace, considering he is still a maturing player who should only get better with age, already making 25 appearances in the Premier League for Leeds, scoring once and assisting four times in the competition.
The 21-year-old has been hailed for his various qualities as a footballer by former Whites manager Jesse Marsch, who said of him last year:
“First of all, he has a lot of flexibility to his game. He’s played six, eight, 10, he can play striker. In some ways, it’s not fair to him to try different positions, but he’s an intelligent player. He fits within what we’re trying to build within our team. He’s a hard worker, he’s an intelligent guy, he’s able and that’s the reason why we use him in a lot of positions, because he’s very adaptable. He understands tactics and his role and he has big talent.”
Greenwood could add some firepower in the final third that has been lacking at Palace this season, with just 13 goals scored in as many Premier League matches before Sunday’s trip to West Ham, and only Odsonne Edouard has netted more than three times in the competition.
Granted, the Englishman is still a fairly inexperienced player who hasn’t yet fully proven himself at the highest level, but he is someone with lots of potential, and he could thrive under the right manager at Selhurst Park.
