Why signing Walker-Peters on loan would be a bad idea for Crystal Palace
According to the Sun, Tottenham Hotspur have agreed to send Kyle Walker-Peters on loan to Crystal Palace in the winter transfer window. Walker-Peters rose to the Lilywhites’ senior squad in 2017 and has been struggling for game time in north London.
Walker-Peters provided two assists in his first season (2017-18) in the 188 league minutes he played. He further increased his playing time to 374 minutes last season and also provided three assists.
He was also seen as the possible long-time replacement at right-back position after Kieran Trippier left the club to join Atletico Madrid at the beginning of the season.
However, after getting three starts Walker-Peters suffered a hamstring injury and is yet to make a return despite coming back to the full training. Crystal Palace coach Roy Hodgson has backed versatile Joel Ward to fill in the gap at right-back position left by the departure of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who joined Manchester United at the beginning of the season.
Ward has played all possible league minutes this season with an impressive stat of three clean sheets and one assist as compared to his previous six seasons where he set up his team-mates just six times. Ward has made 200 appearances for Palace since joining the club in 2012.
Pochettino and Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy would be hoping that Walkers-Peters would get more game time at Palace but on the contrary, it can be a flop move. Palace are currently placed 6th after gathering 14 points in eight games, with four wins and 2 draws.
After finishing 11th in the table last season, Hodgson will be keen to take the Eagles to European qualification by at least finishing 7th.
Hodgson would have to think a lot before taking Walker-Peters on loan. He cannot give an inexperienced loanee player ample opportunities to blow away his season’s target.
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Verdict
Walkers-Peters clearly lacks Premier League experience when compared to Ward and a few blown away opportunities at Palace means Walker-Peters will be just warming the Palace bench until the end of the season.
Palace are also not playing in any European competition like Spurs, clearly denying the 22-year-old an exposure to European football.