Crystal Palace opinion: Should the Eagles win the race for Walter Benitez?

One of Crystal Palace’s biggest issues this season has been their goalkeeping situation. Well, that is other than their striker situation and their issues in defensive.

But the biggest one has been their goalkeeping situation, with the Eagles having to rely on 39-year-old Julian Speroni to play his first game in nearly a few years, against Liverpool.

That obviously did not end well for Roy Hodgson and his side, with them losing to the Reds in what proved to be a massive error in judgement. It showed just why the Eagles really need to improve their choices when it comes to goalkeepers, with them buying the 32-year-old Vicente Guaita.

The former Getafe man has struggled since his move and was eventually usurped by Wayne Hennessey. However, various injury issues to him meant that Guaita had to step in and take his place in the starting eleven. While he has done well, it cannot be a long-term solution for a club like Crystal Palace.

A mid-table side, the Eagles have to start picking better options in goal and if nothing else, that is exactly what Walter Benitez is. The Birmingham Mail has reported that Crystal Palace are one of three Premier League sides after the OGC Nice star.

But for Palace, this is one race they have to win or face a future in the Championship at the end of next season. A very talented shot-stopper, Benitez has been arguably the club’s best player by a long-shot and with 15 clean sheets to his name, it shows just how good he has been.

Only Alisson, Ederson, Samir Handanovic, Jan Oblak, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and Peter Gulacsi have kept more. It puts the Argentine in an exceptional company and it makes the move for Palace perfect.

Easily miles ahead of either Vicente Guaita or Wayne Hennessey, at the age of 26, Walter Benitez has a long future ahead of him.

It’s why both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United are also in the race as mentioned above. Exceptional in the air, gifted with wonderful reflexes and dominant in his box, the 26-year-old would fit the Premier League perfectly.

Add that to the fact that he has just a year left on his current contract and it means that the Eagles could negotiate a cut-rate deal. That would allow them to splurge elsewhere and hopefully mean that they move on from signing ancient goalkeepers who are nearing their end.

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Conclusion

Walter Benitez has proven to be reliable, consistent and more importantly, a very underrated goalkeeper this season. That is something the Eagles need to take full advantage of before a bigger club gets a word and decide to make him their top target.