Two Ins And Two Outs That Crystal Palace Need To Perform In The Summer
Crystal Palace have found it tough this season in the Premier League. The Eagles found themselves embroiled in the battle for survival in the top division and as a result decided to sack manager Alan Pardew and bring in survival specialist Sam Allardyce.
It did not start well for the former England manager, but slowly things have started to fall in place for the London club and they have managed to garner an amazing 15 points from their last 6 league games, taking some big scalps along the way with Chelsea and Arsenal. However, safety is far from achieved for the Eagles as they still sit 16th in the table, 8 points above the drop zone. But they do find themselves better positioned for survival.
Planning for the upcoming season will be well underway and Allardyce will have ideas of shaping the squad according to his own image and ideas. Strengthening of the squad will be of paramount importance if they are to maintain their status as a Premier League outfit, while there is also a need to get rid of certain players who don’t fit into the scheme of things. To that end, here are two players who Palace should sell and two players who they should bring in over the course of the summer window.
Players To Be Sold
Lee Chung-Yong
The 28-year old South Korean has hardly been seen on the pitch in recent months and judging by the looks of it, he does not feature in the plans for Allardyce.
Lee has just played 19 times across all competitions for Palace this season and has just a single assist to show for in return. The last time he played for the Eagles was in the 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City in the FA Cup 4th round back in the end of January and he hasn’t kicked the ball for Crystal Palace since then. If he is not going to be involved in the scheme of things, Palace would be better served by selling him at the end of the season.
Fraizer Campbell
The 29-year old striker missed a good chunk of games in the early parts of the season due to hamstring problems and since then has struggled to get going.
Campbell has just featured in 9 games for Palace this season across all competitions, scoring just a solitary goal against Hull City back in December last year. He was last seen in action in Palace colours back in January in the FA Cup third round clash against Bolton Wanderers. Campbell’s contract with the club is set to expire at the end of the season and Palace would do good to not offer him an extension and can instead inject some fresh blood into the attack.
Players To Sign
Harry Maguire
Strengthening at the back will be of great importance for Palace over the summer if they are to establish a solid base in the Premier League next season. Crystal Palace are very likely to lose loan signing Mamadou Sakho at the end of the season, while veteran defender Damien Delaney could leave as well, as his contract is set to expire.
And as a result, signing a defensive reinforcement in the shape of Harry Maguire will help them a great deal. The 24-year old has been a dominant presence at the back for Hull City in the second half of the season and has been monitored by several Premier League clubs. A young and confident English defender with good defensive nous along with decent dribbling abilities, Maguire could prove to be a shrewd addition.
Lazar Markovic
Wilfried Zaha has been a pivotal figure for Crystal Palace this season and he has been their brightest spark going forward. The Ivorian has been able to stretch defences with his pace and directness and has chipped in with 6 goals and 11 assists.
However, with him continuously being linked with a move away to Tottenham in the summer, a like to like replacement on the flanks will be a must for the Eagles. Liverpool’s Lazar Markovic could be the man to fill in for Zaha. The Serbian is presently on loan with strugglers Hull City and has been fairly decent in the past two months, scoring once in 8 league appearances. He has the pace and the skills to come in and take over from Zaha and if backed by Allardyce, he could become a star at the Selhurst Park.
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