Crystal Palace will be eager to bring one long-term objective to Selhurst Park at last among the lengthy list of targets for this summer.
Numerous players have already been linked to Crystal Palace this summer as Dougie Freedman attempts to provide Oliver Glasner with a team that can make it to Europe.
Chadi Riad appears destined to be the club’s first newcomer of the new age, and Daichi Kamada appears to be the second arrival on the horizon.
However, strengthening a number of positions—including finding a new striker to challenge Jean-Philippe Mateta—remains a top objective.
One aim appears to be arriving lot more likely now than it ever has.
Eddie Nketiah could now be an option for Crystal Palace
Back in January, it was almost daily that Eddie Nketiah was linked with a move to Palace, and now according to reports, that interest has been carried through to the summer.
It is reported by The Sun, that Nketiah is a player Arsenal are keen to sell this summer in order to fund a move for Benjamin Sesko.
After a season of struggling for game-time, Arsenal are set to reluctantly let Nketiah leave despite being highly rated by Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners are expected to require £30m to let him go, and Fulham currently lead the race to get the deal done. However, the Eagles are closely following along with Wolves.
Meanwhile, Everton wants to bring Nketiah on a loan, which would appeal to Arsenal as they are reluctant.
A Palace move would likely depend on the sale of Odsonne Edouard, and until that happens, it’s unlikely that the striker position will be prioritised considering the form Mateta has shown.
Nketiah is far better than he gets credit for
Nketiah is a real talent despite his struggle for game time this season for Arsenal, and under Glasner, he has the potential to explode with better performances.
Five goals and two assists in 27 Premier League games which equates to seven-goal contributions in 1,071 minutes – 153 minutes per contribution.
Ian Wright is a real fan of Nketiah too, in October 2023 he praised the forward for scoring a hat-trick, saying: “He was coming into a team where there is a lot of rotation. He is not always playing with the major first-team guys, but you want to be playing with the players who are going to make you those chances.
“I thought he was fantastic [against Sheffield United]. I like it when he stays in and around the area, and he looks very sharp. The defenders were very poor but, at the same time, he was very sharp.
“It’s about having composure and thinking that is what Eddie has got. He is very aggressive and I don’t think Luke Thomas was strong enough to deal with the mood Eddie was in.”
