It’s been a mixed summer for Crystal Palace so far.
They have seen the mercurial Michael Olise leave for Bayern Munich, but they have also seen the likes of Chadi Riad and Daichi Kamada come the other way.
That said, the Eagles’ other star commodity, Eberechi Eze, has also been the subject of persistent interest from other Premier League sides, but with the Olise money in the bank, there is a real chance that Oliver Glasner will have access to the talented Englishman next season.
Not only that, but based on recent reports, the Austrian could soon be handed the perfect teammate for the 26-year-old, as recent reports have touted an exciting attacker for a move back to London and, more specifically, to Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace transfer news
According to a report from GIVEMESPORT earlier this week, Crystal Palace are incredibly keen to add Sporting CP star Marcus Edwards to the squad this summer.
In fact, the report reveals that the Eagles saw an offer of around £13m rejected as the Portuguese giants value the talented attacker at closer to £25m due to the 35% sell-on clause that would be owed to Tottenham Hotspur.
Unfortunately for the South Londoners, the finances are not the only potential obstacle to securing the player’s services this summer, as the report has also claimed that Spurs and Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr are keen to sign him.
It could be a complicated and relatively pricey deal to get over the line, but considering how well he has played in Portugal and the potential for him to form a partnership with Eze, it is one worth pursuing.
Why Edwards would be an excellent teammate for Eze
So, with Olise now plying his trade in Germany, much of the team’s creative and attacking burden is likely to fall upon Eze’s shoulders, but should Glasner get his hands on Edwards in the coming weeks, that might not need to be the case.
It’s this ability to chip in and influence proceedings at the sharp end of the pitch that would make the former Spurs gem such a useful teammate for the Palace ace, and based on his last few seasons of football with Sporting, it certainly looks like he’d be able to make a difference.
For example, while last season was his least productive for the Portuguese outfit, he still scored six goals and provided nine assists in 44 appearances, or 2373 minutes, which equates to a goal involvement every 158.2 minutes.
Edwards’ last three seasons | |||
---|---|---|---|
Season | 21/22 | 22/23 | 23/24 |
Appearances | 39 | 51 | 44 |
Minutes | 2258′ | 3604′ | 2373 |
Goals | 11 | 12 | 6 |
Assists | 7 | 14 | 9 |
Minutes per Goal Involvement | 125.4′ | 138.6′ | 158.2′ |
Goal Involvements per Match | 0.46 | 0.50 | 0.34 |
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
The season prior, he racked up a seriously impressive 26 goals and assists in 51 games or 3604 minutes, and the season before that, it was 18 goals and assists in 2258 minutes, which equates to a goal involvement on average every 138.6 minutes and every 125.4 minutes, respectively.
Now, if the “electric” winger, as dubbed by football presenter Jack Collins, can reproduce even some of his attacking output in South London, then that would take so much pressure off the shoulders of the former Queens Park Rangers star and in turn could then see him deliver more consistently for the club.
The update comes courtesy of journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Ultimately, if Palace can secure the services of Edwards for around £25m this summer, then that would be a brilliant idea. While he had a slightly lacklustre campaign last season, the last three years are evidence enough that he is a quality attacking player and one who could help get even more out of Eze.