£58,000-a-week player could now leave Crystal Palace in January, never made a PL appearance for the Eagles
” £58,000-a-week player could now leave Crystal Palace in January, never made a PL appearance for the Eagles
Crystal Palace elected to bring in Arsenal defender Rob Holding during the summer transfer window, but he is yet to play a minute in the Premier League and could be set for an early exit.
The 27-year-old featured towards the end of last season as Arsenal saw their title challenge falter, but he fell way down the pecking order and left this summer in search of first-team football.
However, despite moving to Crystal Palace, he has not seen an increase in playing opportunities. He has appeared just once in all competitions, as Palace lost against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup, and has not played in the Premier League at all.
Joachim Andersen has been an ever-present, and his partnership with Marc Guehi is blossoming. Guehi has missed just one league game this season, and Chris Richards was selected ahead of Holding in the back line.
Rob Holding could leave Crystal Palace in January
A report from Football Transfers has now claimed that Holding could leave just months after he moved to Selhurst Park, with Premier League strugglers Bournemouth interested in a deal.
Holding would arrive with a lot of experience in the Premier League, and with Bournemouth close to the bottom three, they would welcome a proven defender to bolster their backline in January.
It is claimed that given his lack of minutes, a move could suit all parties should Palace receive an offer for Holding in January.
Crystal Palace have been linked with defenders such as Ben Godfrey, as they may aim to sign a right-back amidst Joel Ward’s struggles.
Given that they already have Richards seemingly ahead of Holding in the pecking order, they will not notice the £58k-a-week defender’s departure should he leave, particularly if another defender comes in.
For Holding, moving to a club which already had Andersen and Guehi thriving may not have been the best move, and he may benefit from joining Bournemouth sooner rather than later.
If Palace can make a profit on the £4m they spent on Holding in the summer, then a sale would be a no-brainer for all parties, but there is one risk they may consider.
There has been some sense of good luck that Andersen and Guehi have both been available for nearly every single game, but as the season goes on and the fixtures pile up, should one of them pick up an injury, then someone with Holding’s experience may be necessary.
Holding may be frustrated at his lack of game time though, and if Palace do recruit another defender, then it would almost certainly be curtains for the Englishman at the club.
