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Glasner wants competition up top | Getty Images
Crystal Palace have reportedly made contact over a striker signing as they look to add competition up top.
Crystal Palace are said to have made contact over a striker deal as they look to improve their squad this summer. Oliver Glasner managed a hugely impressive campaign of last, with Palace winning the FA and qualifying for the Europa League, as well as enjoying a solid Premier League campaign.
But the Eagles must now add depth and quality to their squad if they want to properly compete in the Europa League and Premier League, and they will also be battling to keep hold of some of their best players. There is likely to be interest in the likes of Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta, but Palace will be battling to keep hold of those players, or at least two of them.
In terms of what they have, Palace have Mateta and Eddie Nketiah as their striker options, and it seems Glasner wants to add to that group with a new striker signing. OGC Nice frontman Evann Guessand is said to be a target, and Palace have reportedly made contact with his agent.
That’s according to TBR Football, who report that Guessand is interested in a move to the Premier League after a season that saw him score 12 times and provide eight assists. Fenerbahce are also said to be interested, but Palace appear to be leading the charge as far as Premier League clubs are concerned.
Guessand could have left Nice back in 2023, and speaking about his decision to stay, he said: "During the transfer window, I could have left, like all the other players. In my case, there were quite a few twists and turns. I had some interesting discussions with Florent Ghisolfi [sporting director] and Francesco Farioli [coach]. They convinced me, explaining what they wanted to do with me this season and what the team wanted to do.
“We made the decision together and I'm delighted to be staying on. Nice is the club where I grew up, where I've been for almost ten years now... Winning here has always been one of my ambitions and objectives. It would be a wonderful story, a player who came here at the age of 13, who has gone through all the categories, and who 'makes it' in the pro world at his club... That's my main idea. It's up to me to work hard to give myself the means to do so and to continue to progress."
In terms of his best position, scouting website Breaking the Lines wrote: “As we’ve established, Guessand is not a traditional target man. Sure, he has the potential to develop into one over time, and at 23 years old, now would be the right time to start adapting to that role. But at this stage, he’s still far from a classic number nine. Likewise, he isn’t a conventional winger, which could make a move to Spurs particularly tricky. With Dominik Solanke already leading the line, and given Ange Postecoglou’s preference for wingers who stay high and wide, it’s hard to see where Guessand would fit into that system.
“His ideal role remains that of an inside forward or even an attacking midfielder, operating in the right half-space and thriving with the support of a central striker and an overlapping fullback or wingback. Which raises an interesting question; is this why we’re starting to see link between the player and Manchester United?” That suggests £21.3million-rated Guessand may be the perfect player to play off Mateta.
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