Crystal Palace make contact over “terrific” player, he’d be open to move
Palace are keen to bolster their squad as they quietly go about their business this term.
Crystal Palace are keen to bolster the ranks in January and Roy Hodgson now looks to have received a boost as one of the Eagles’ reported targets is open to a move to Selhurst Park, according to a report.
Crystal Palace updates
Crystal Palace have performed largely to expectation this campaign and sit 13th in the Premier League table with 15 points from their opening 13 fixtures, straddling the line between comfortable mid-table obscurity and giving themselves plenty of breathing space away from the relegation zone.
In fairness to the Eagles, they have had to contend with some notable injury absences this term, with the likes of Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze spending time on the sidelines in the earlier part of the campaign.
Eze suffered a new concern last weekend in their 2-1 defeat to Luton Town at Kenilworth Road, alongside teammate Cheick Doucoure, with both players withdrawn from the encounter in a major blow for Hodgson. Mali international Doucoure required a stretcher when he was taken off, and his issue has now been confirmed as a serious achilles injury.
Giving an update on Eze in his post-match press conference, Hodgson stated: “He didn’t exactly go down, did he? The way I saw it, he was brought down and as he was trying to get away, the player landed on him and has damaged his ankle.”
Undoubtedly frustrated, the 76-year-old will need to find a way round losing two key components of his engine room sooner rather than later, with a tough test away to West Ham United awaiting the Eagles on Sunday.
Casting an eye towards January, Crystal Palace now have an eye on a player that could help to strengthen their forward line, according to a report.
Crystal Palace keen on Chuba Akpom
According to TEAMtalk, Crystal Palace have made contact with Ajax to enquire about striker Chuba Akpom, who is also attracting interest from Fulham ahead of the January transfer window.
Chuba Akpom statistics 2023/24 – all competitions (Transfermar
The report states that the former England Under-21 international would be open to a move to England and Ajax would consider the prospect of allowing the 28-year-old to leave on loan. Everton, Burnley, Luton Town and Sheffield United, alongside Championship clubs have also thrown their hat in the ring for his signature.
Proving his worth in the English second tier last term, Akpom, who has previously been labelled “terrific” by his old boss Michael Carrick, scored 29 goals in 42 outings, demonstrating a keen eye for goal that ended up securing himself a move to a European giant.
Nevertheless, if a move back home is on the cards, Crystal Palace could land a proven goalscorer to help boost their options in the final third ahead of the second period of the season.
