The way the season has gone so far will leave the Crystal Palace supporters a little let down.
After 20 games and just 21 points, Roy Hodgson’s team is in 14th place in the Premier League. They have a difficult matchup against Arsenal coming up, which should knock them farther down the standings.
In light of this, the Eagles need to bolster their roster in January, and they have a defender on their short list.
Trevoh Chalobah from Chelsea is a player that Palace is interested in signing in January, according to TEAMtalk earlier this week.
It won’t be an easy pursuit, though, as Jose Mourinho’s Roma and Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich, both of whom used to coach Chelsea, are planning moves for the defender.
His current club, Chelsea, has listed the center-back for sale with the goal of receiving £25 million for him.
The Eagles will probably try to sign Chalobah in January, but only if their pursuit of Arsenal center-forward Eddie Nketiah fails.
In the summer of 2021, Marc Guehi joined Crystal Palace from Chelsea for £18m, after failing to nail down a spot in the starting XI at the Blues.
The 23-year-old has been a big success since joining the Eagles, as evidenced by his rise to the top of the team, selection for the captain’s armband, and inclusion in the England roster.
With the addition of Chalobah, Hodgson will be trying to replicate the Guehi masterclass of three years ago. Similar to Palace’s number six, Chalobah was trained at Chelsea, but after being kicked out of his boyhood team by Mauricio Pochettino, he is searching for a fresh challenge elsewhere.
The 24-year-old hasn’t played a single minute this season; his most recent competitive game was Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle back in May. However, before the new manager took over, the player was very active, making 25 Premier League games the previous season.
The table below shows a handful of Chalobah’s statistics from the last year and how they compare to his positional peers throughout Europe.
Chalobah has been described as ice cold
previously by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, and based on his composure on the ball, it is easy to see why. The ex-Lorient loanee is a player who loves to get on the ball and be involved in build-up, as shown by his passes completed, touches, and progressive carries.
He is also a rock out of possession, using his physicality and athleticism to tackle opponents and stop dribblers from reaching dangerous areas with the ball. The Englishman is also an intelligent player who reads the game well, as displayed by his 1.44 interceptions per 90 minutes.
Chalobah is incredibly adaptable; when needed, he can also play as a right-back or even a defensive midfielder. Because of this, the Chelsea player is an extremely important commodity and an ideal fit for Palace, who are currently lacking in those spots.
In other words, if Chalobah could be signed for just £25 million, Crystal Palace would be getting a great deal, and they should look to do so in January.
Leave a Reply