Crystal Palace have been linked with a move for Leicester City midfielder Boubakary Soumare recently, and the Frenchman could be a superb addition to Patrick Vieira’s midfield.
What’s the word?
Recent reports have claimed that both the Eagles and Nottingham Forest could offer the 23-year-old an exit route from the King Power Stadium after a difficult first season at the club.
In a recent interview with Football FanCast, journalist Pete O’Rourke shared his thoughts on Palace’s potential move for Soumare.
He said: “The French connection is there as well, so I think this could deal could work out for everybody. It would work out for Crystal Palace as they would get a top player in while Leicester could bring in some funds to strengthen the squad. It could be a good fit.”
Should Palace sign Soumare?
While Soumare’s first season in England didn’t exactly go to plan, he was highly regarded during his time at Lille, having been considered one of Ligue 1’s ‘breakout talents‘ of 2019/20, and he could perhaps rediscover his mojo with regular game-time at Selhurst Park.
Last season saw the 23-year-old make just 19 appearances in the Premier League, scoring no goals and contributing one assist, for which he averaged a disappointing 6.41 rating from WhoScored.
However, the 2020/21 campaign saw him make 32 appearances in Ligue 1 as he helped Lille to win the title, earning an impressive 6.76 rating for his performances.
This would indicate that he can be an influential player when he is trusted by his manager to start regularly, and at just 23, he still has plenty of time to adapt to the Premier League and reach the potential which earned him the aforementioned ‘breakout talent’ billing.
While Palace have already brought in Cheick Doucoure for £21m this summer, the likes of Luka Milivojevic and James McArthur are into the twilight of their careers, so Vieira could do with younger options in the middle of the park.
As O’Rourke suggests, the French connection between Soumare and Vieira could be crucial in any potential deal for the Leicester man. If the Eagles manager can get the young midfielder playing anything like he did at Lille, it would surely be worth Palace spending the £17m reportedly required to bring him to Selhurst Park.
from FootballFanCast.com https://ift.tt/DigAwGO
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