Arsenal flop Marouane Chamakh is a believed transfer target for Premier League newcomers Crystal Palace
Premier League newcomers Crystal Palace are showing an interest in Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh and Aston Villa’s Darren Bent, according to Sky Sports.
Palace seems determined to strengthen their attack ahead of their return to the English top-flight this season.
Strikers
There is no doubt about it Crystal Palace need to strengthen their squad. Most of the players in the Palace squad are of Championship or lower league standard.
The Eagles have already broken their transfer record this summer by bringing in Dwight Gayle from Peterborough for a fee of around £8million.
It now looks like Palace are set to add to their striking options in the near future. Palace’s striking options appear slightly limited at the moment. The Eagles current strikers are Kevin Phillips, who turned 40 last month, Aaron Wilbraham who at 33 is a bit of a journeyman and then there is Ian Holloway favourite Stephen Dobbie, who seems to be the perennial Championship performer.
Palace’s biggest goal threat last season’s top scorer Glenn Murray, will miss most of the season after picking up a cruciate ligament injury in the Championship play-offs last season. Murray’s loss will be a massive blow to the Eagles, as he helped Palace to promotion with 30 goals.
Gayle will be a bit of an unknown quantity in the Premier League next season. The youngster did well at Peterborough in the Championship, but it remains to be seen if he can make the step-up to the top-flight. Palace needs him to, as they have taken a big gamble on the pacey forward.
Needed
The crux of it is Palace definitely needs to strengthen their attack and obviously everybody at the club are working hard to do just that. The two believed transfer targets are very different in ability and Premier League experience.
Flop
Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh has been a flop at Arsenal after forging a very good reputation for himself in French football with Bordeaux. Chamakh has struggled to cement his place in the Arsenal team and struggled for goals.
He has spent large amounts of time sitting on the sidelines at the Emirates waiting for a game. Last January he moved to West Ham on-loan, which should have re-ignited his career in English football. Instead he struggled to get into the West Ham team and made just three appearances for the Irons.
Chamakh has wasted the last three years of his career and really needs to find a place to start playing games, or his career could just waste away. A move to Crystal Palace and first team football would most likely be good for the player.
However, I do not think it would be a good move for the Eagles. There seems to be far hungrier players out there. I do not believe that he would be a wise signing, more a waste of wages.
Goals
Darren Bent is the complete opposite to Chamakh, in that he has played and scored goals in the top-flight of English football. The England striker fell out-of-favour at Villa last season and spent the majority of the season on the sidelines.
However, Bent is a proven Premier League goalscorer. Although he may not do much else, he finds the net and that is the sort of player that promoted teams need in their squad. Unfortunately for Palace the likes of Newcastle and Fulham are also interested in the striker.
It is hard to see Bent choosing Palace ahead of Newcastle and Fulham this summer, if he did though it would be a massive coup for the Eagles. It could be the sort of signing that could spur Palace on to survival next season.
Tough
With or without a new striker it is going to be difficult for Palace to survive in the top-flight this season. There squad was built very much for the vigour’s of the Championship, not the Premier League.
However, as with any Ian Holloway side they will not go down without a fight. Unfortunately the current Palace team remind me of Holloway’s Blackpool team that was relegated on the last day of the 2010/11 season.
Promotion may have come slightly too soon for Palace. However, I am sure that the Eagles fans will enjoy next season, whether their team struggles or not.
Can Crystal Palace bring in a new striker?
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