Glasner will want some new weapons this summerGlasner will want some new weapons this summer
Glasner will want some new weapons this summer | Getty Images
Crystal Palace are said to have fresh competition for a reported target ahead of the summer.
Crystal Palace may have fresh competition in their reported bid to land a talented winger this summer. The Eagles are likely to strengthen this summer with Oliver Glasner now in a position where he will want to build on the solid base he has built during his time at the club so far.
Palace have enjoyed a solid season that could yet end with a top-half finish, while they also have a chance of winning the FA Cup having booked a place in Wembley, facing Aston Villa in the semi-final in April.
As is often the case with the South London club, there is a concern that some of their best players could depart this summer, with Marc Guehi the most likely to depart due to his contract situation, the defender having just a year remaining on his deal, while Eberechi Eze will be another who attracts plenty of attention.
The silver lining is that Palace have been excellent at identifying talent over recent years, albeit they now have the challenge of doing it without sporting director Dougie Freeedman, who left the club today, on Monday.
The Eagles have often focused on young talent they can nurture into stars, and they have done a good job of it over recent times. The next young talent in through the Selhurst park doors could be Liverpool’s Ben Doak, who has been impressing on loan at Middlesbrough this season. Doak has scored three times and provided seven assists for playoff hopefuls Boro at the age of 19, but it seems he does not have a long-term future at Liverpool.
Palace could take advantage, but The Sun say Everton have now latched on to the possibility of landing the young winger, with David Moyes reportedly keen on a deal ahead of next summer. Reports suggest Liverpool will demand £25million for the Scotland international this summer, but that could be a wise investment given the player’s youth and potential.
Unfortunately for Doak, he may not get the chance to prove himself between now and the end of the season due to an injury. Boro boss Carrick said earlier this month: “Ben is back at Liverpool doing a bit of rehab now. That’s normal when it gets to this stage - we’ve had that before with players we’ve sent out on loan. He’s back with Liverpool and we’ll just have to see how that goes and how long he’s going to be out for.
“We’ll have to wait and see [if he plays again this season]. It’s hard to say either way at this stage, to be honest. He’s back with Liverpool and they are going to look after his rehab initially and see how that goes. We’ll just see how it progresses from there. It all happened quite recently. He was doing his rehab and then it came about. It’s something that’s unfortunate - both for us and Ben. But, it’s part of the game and he will come back stronger.” Boro are currently seventh place in the Championship and just goal difference off the playoffs.
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