Why forgotten man Adel Taarabt can be a good signing for Crystal Palace
From being dubbed as the next Zinedine Zidane owing to his skills on the ball to a footballer sunk in the deep realms of obscurity, it has been a tragic tale for Adel Taarabt.
Taarabt shifted bases to France from his native Morocco and his unrivalled genius was spotted by Ligue 1 club Lens. However, the Premier League giants soon came calling for the prodigious youngster and Taarabt landed up at Tottenham Hotspur in 2007.
Lack of managerial stability at White Hart Lane didn’t get the best out of Taarabt and the Moroccan realised his potential at Queens Park Rangers. He went on to become a seasoned campaigner at Loftus Road, helping the club back to the mainstream of English football with a promotion-winning 2010-11 season where he scored 19 goals.
Taarabt racked up 34 goals and 42 assists in 164 appearances for QPR across all competitions. He had a loan spell at AC Milan in the Serie A in the 2013-14 season where he excelled with 4 goals and an assist from 14 appearances.
However, that was going to be the beginning of the downfall for the creative ace. Taarabt joined Fulham and then ended up at Benfica in 2015. He wasn’t able to replicate his fine displays and spent time on loan at Genoa.
The creative ace, now 29, is a forgotten figure in European football. His career has been blighted by several issues on and off the field and a player who was destined for big things has ended up virtually nowhere.
Crystal Palace should offer him an escape route as he still has a lot to offer at the highest level. A technically gifted and tactically versatile playmaker, Taarabt is known for his ability to bring a dead attack back to life with moments of sheer brilliance.
Pace, power, drive, technical abilities and eye for goal – Taarabt has it all. Not only does he run with the ball glued to his feet and wreak havoc through the defences but he can also find the right pass to set up his teammates in the final third.
He has a deadly right foot that is capable of finding the net from anywhere on the pitch. To sum it up, he is an extremely talented all-around player who can change the whole complexion of the game in a matter of seconds.
Palace have one of the poorest goalscoring records in the Premier League this season, having scored 17 goals from 20 games. The Eagles are 5 points clear of the relegation zone with a game in hand.
Roy Hodgson’s men have been hit hard by the absence of a creative midfielder this season. Max Meyer has been too inconsistent to rely upon and Palace are in dire need of bolstering their squad with a creative ace who can create those chances for the likes of Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend up front.
Still only 29, Taarabt is more than capable of helping Palace achieve a better scoring record. The Eagles should try to lure him back to the Premier League.