Crystal Palace are once again looking to bolster their midfield options…
What’s the word?
According to Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, Patrick Vieira could be set to raid Premier League rivals Leicester City for midfield enforcer Boubakary Soumare.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said about the Frenchman and another Eagles transfer target: “I think that’s one Palace will look at alongside Houssem Aouar. I don’t know how realistic it is, but from what I understand, Palace are going to go for two or three signings.”
The £99k-per-week destroyer only signed for the Foxes last summer.
Imagine him & Doucoure
Another of their summer signings, Cheick Doucoure, could quickly form half of a solid midfield duo if Patrick Vieira is to tempt Soumare to Selhurst Park. The Palace manager could mould both of these hulking, hard-working midfielders in his image.
Since his move to Leicester, the 23-year-old has struggled to exert himself upon Brendan Rodgers’ team, starting just 12 Premier League matches last season. Whenever he has been trusted, his performances have only yielded an average SofaScore rating of 6.62.
However, if he can sort out the defensive side of his game, then the 23-year-old could surely be the perfect foil for Doucoure, who boasts a knack for progressing his team up the pitch, ranking in the 92nd percentile among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive passes over the last 12 months.
There must have been something which saw the £99k-per-week star being viewed as more than a “destroyer”, as he was dubbed by French football expert Ian Holyman.
Last season in the Premier League, Soumare averaged one tackle, 0.7 interceptions and 0.9 clearances per game, but with a success rate of 57% in his duels, he can be considered a good option to win the midfield battle.
To increase these numbers slightly whilst playing next to the man who ranks in the top 8% for both progressive passes and carries, it is clear that the Malian can do the heavy lifting of turning defence into attack.
There certainly seems to be a “powerful” midfield option in Soumare, outlined in his Ligue 1 figures which provoked the Foxes to swoop for him. He recorded a slight increase with 59% total duels won, but also had an 85% successful dribbles and recorded 1.4 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game.
If this quality can be recaptured, Palace could quickly have one of the more formidable Premier League midfield partnerships, as strength and power meet a desire to play on the front foot. Any midfielder could struggle having to face a combination of Soumare and Dourcoure, if they are paired together.
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