Crystal Palace opinion: The Eagles should take a punt on Steve Mounie

According to a report from The Examiner Live, Crystal Palace are one of the Premier League clubs interested in signing Huddersfield Town striker Steve Mounie. A couple of teams from France and Germany are also keen on the Benin international, who has also caught the attention of Newcastle United, Watford and Bournemouth.

Steve Mounie, 24, made the move to Huddersfield Town in a £12m deal from Montpellier in 2017. He has scored 11 times during his two-year stay in England, making 63 appearances in all competitions under both David Wagner and Jan Siewert. The 24-year-old scored just two times in the Premier League last season as the Terriers suffered relegation.

The centre-forward, however, looks set to leave Huddersfield following their relegation this summer. Keeping that in mind, Crystal Palace must do everything to their powers to win the race for Mounie.

The Eagles struggled for goals last season, with Roy Hodgson’s men managing just 51 goals in the Premier League. Christian Benteke struggled with injuries once again, as he bagged just one goal in 16 appearances.

Regardless of missing a chunk of football in the last couple of years, Connor Wickham signed a new deal until 2021 in May, which means he is set to stay with Palace.

Looking at the options available to Hodgson right now, it’s hard to see goals flow by regularly for the Eagles next season. Above all, talismanic forward Wilfried Zaha has made it clear to Crystal Palace that he wants a move to a Champions League club. However, after the departure of Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Manchester United, Hodgson must not sanction a move.

So, keeping hold of Zaha and signing a new centre-forward is a no-brainer for Palace. With that in mind, Steve Mounie would be a good fit at Selhurst Park.

Mounie enjoyed a promising debut season at Huddersfield but he failed miserably to build on that positive start in 2018/19. The 6ft 3-inches tall target-man wasn’t at his clinical best this past season, squandering a series of chances for the Terriers. Apparently, that did come to haunt the West Yorkshire side but one cannot fully blame the 24-year-old for the club’s relegation.

Nevertheless, Mounie’s exceptional 2016/17 season at Montpellier, where he hit the net 14 times in Ligue 1, which prompted Huddersfield to sign him in the summer of 2017 proves that he can be relied upon for goals. The 24-year-old can link-up well with his teammates, make runs in behind defenders and uses his giant frame to hold the ball up with ease.

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All in all, the Benin striker would be an upgrade to Benteke and his productivity in the final third could increase working with the likes of Zaha, Townsend and Meyer.

Verdict

Mounie will have a point to prove in the Premier League and leaving Huddersfield for Crystal Palace would be the right move for him.