Crystal Palace opinion: The Eagles should sign Timothy Castagne

According to a report from the Evening Standard, Crystal Palace are interested in signing Atalanta full-back Timothy Castagne. Timothy Castagne, 23, is an established Belgian international who recently helped Atalanta qualify for the Champions League for the first time.

He enjoyed a fantastic campaign in the Serie A and his performances have caught the attention of Celtic and Napoli as well. With the 23-year-old having just a year left on his contract at Atalanta, he could be available on a bargain deal this summer if the Italian club thinks of selling him.

With that being in mind, Crystal Palace must go all out to sign Castagne, who has admitted his desire to play in the Premier League earlier this month.

Palace have lost one of their stars in Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Manchester United. The 21-year-old, who started his career as a striker, rose through the Palace academy and emerged as one of the most defensively sound full-backs in the Premier League last season.

He became one of the most costly defenders in history when he put pen-to-paper on a deal with the Red Devils.

Now that Wan-Bissaka has departed, Roy Hodgson needs to bring in a replacement ahead of the new season. Joel Ward has done a good job whenever called upon but he isn’t exactly a modern-day full-back that can contribute defensively and going forward.

A modern offensive-minded full-back blessed with the rare versatility of being able to play on either side of the defence, Castagne is known for his pace, skills, tackling and crossing abilities.

While he is a good passer of the ball, the 23-year-old also likes to link up the play and sets up his teammates with key passes.

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The Belgian’s pace, agility and sharpness allow him to track back and make recovery runs to cut out the attacks, while his ability to time his tackles to perfection makes him a valuable asset to the backline.

Castagne has the attributes to take the Premier League like a duck to water and his attacking instincts would not only make him an ideal fit for Hodgson’s system but also add depth to the squad.

Verdict

Castagne is just 23-years-old and can only get better while his consistent offensive performances in the Serie A last season demonstrates how influential he can be on his day.

Hence, Palace shouldn’t hesitate to splash the cash and sign the Belgian to reinforce their defence ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.