Crystal Palace have now made an approach to sign a “sensational” former Manchester United star, but they may have to blitz their transfer record to get a deal done.
Palace looking to make statement summer signing
Oliver Glasner has his differences with Steve Parish and the rest of the board, hence why the manager is set to leave at the end of the season, and he has been left particularly frustrated by the squad being threadbare at times.
Glasner said: “We feel that we are being abandoned, no support. We’re playing with 12, 13 players for weeks now and the bench is just kids, they’ve never played in a stadium, in an atmosphere like this and then I see the players, everybody is disappointed.”
Having now angered the fans, by informing them they need to ‘stay humble’, it remains to be seen whether the Austrian remains at Selhurst Park until the summer, at which point Parish will definitely need to strengthen the squad.
During the January transfer window, the Eagles were unable to get a replacement for Marc Guehi through the door, and given the doubts surrounding Adam Wharton‘s future, they may also need to bring in a new central midfielder.
According to a report from Sports Boom, Crystal Palace have now joined the race to sign Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay, but it could take a huge fee to get a deal over the line, with an asking price of £60m – £70m being touted.
Palace have already made contact about a deal for McTominay, but there could be competition for his signature, with former employers Man United keen, while fellow Premier League side Newcastle United also hold an interest.
The Eagles are now monitoring the situation closely ahead of the summer transfer window, at which point there could be a ‘very competitive’ race for the central midfielder.
“Sensational” McTominay would be statement signing for Palace
Jorgen Strand Larsen became Crystal Palace’s club-record signing in the summer, arriving for a club-record £48m, and they would have to blitz that fee to get a deal for the Napoli star over the line.
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Crystal Palace are questioning whether they should sack Glasner before his contract expires this summer.
However, the Scotland international could be worth it, having amassed 12 goals and six assists in 34 Serie A matches during his debut campaign, with Napoli going on to lift the title.
This season, the 29-year-old has remained Napoli’s most consistent performer, averaging a FotMob match rating of 7.33, which is the highest in the squad, and he is second only to Rasmus Hojlund in terms of goal contributions in the Serie A.
Lauded as “sensational” by broadcaster David Tanner, McTominay could be a fantastic addition to Palace’s squad, but spending £70m on a 29-year-old probably wouldn’t the best move, and they should try to negotiate a deal for a lower fee.