Crystal Palace’s season has been rather underwhelming so far, however progress has been made over the last few matches.
On Thursday night, the Eagles drew 0-0 with Everton in the FA Cup, but their most recent Premier League game was a 3-1 home victory against Brentford.
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ByLuke RandallFeb 1, 2024
That result put Roy Hodgson's side in 14th, which highlights that additions are needed in January.
Crystal Palace transfers latest – Eddie Nketiah
According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Palace are interested in signing a forward, with Eddie Nketiah on the list.
The Arsenal star, who is “very Ian Wright like” according to pundit Tony Cascarino, is valued at £40m by the Gunners, according to Football Insider.
However, the north Londoners aren't willing to sell Nketiah unless they sign a new striker in January, leaving the ball in Arsenal’s court.
How Nketiah compares to Jean-Phillipe Mateta
Neither Odsonne Edouard nor Jean-Phillipe Mateta have been able to make the number nine role at Selhurst Park their own, as shown by the fact that they have both netted just 35 goals between them in 172 combined appearances.
Over the last few years, it seems that a true centre forward has been the final piece of the Palace puzzle, and they could have done with a player like Ian Wright, who scored 118 goals in 227 appearances for the Eagles between 1985 and 1991 – prior to his own heroics in the red of Arsenal.
Wright was a clinical poacher with a vast skillset, and Nketiah’s movement and “pure goal scorer” trait, as per Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, are reminiscent of the former Palace and Gunners icon.
The table below displays Mateta’s and Nketiah’s stats from the last year across the top European leagues, with the Englishman seemingly set to offer a potential upgrade for Hodgson and co.
Non-penalty goals
0.14
0.41
Shots total
1.88
3.18
Touches (att pen)
3.75
6.56
Progressive carries
1.15
1.79
Pass completion %
71.9%
78.9%
As you can see by the non-penalty goals per 90 stats, the Arsenal forward is much more of a goal-scorer than Mateta. Nketiah also possesses athletic attributes that Hodgson doesn’t currently have within his striker options, such as pace and dynamism.
The Englishman’s movement – which has been likened to Wright by pundit Roy Keane – is also elite, which would give Palace an option to play the ball in behind, as Mateta is a striker who lacks speed and is essentially a target player.
With the creativity of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, who star on opposite sides, Nketiah would thrive in the box where he likes to operate, as displayed by the high number of touches he has in the attacking penalty area. Furthermore, the 24-year-old is capable of carrying the ball forward, which will make him dangerous in the Palace side which tends to create most of their chances on the counterattack.
Another attribute that would be vital at Palace and make him an upgrade on their number 14 is that the Gunners attacker retains the ball brilliantly. This is portrayed by his high pass completion statistics, and as the Eagles tend to endure spells without possession, it is important that they aren’t wasteful when they do win it back.
Overall, it is clear that Nketiah has plenty of desirable traits that would enhance Palace. If they can keep hold of Eze and Olise and sign the Arsenal forward, the Eagles could go from a steady mid-table side to a team that could be challenging for European spots.