Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira will be hoping to use the January transfer window to add a couple of new signings to his squad in order to improve during the second half of the season as they eye a top-half finish.
The Eagles are currently occupying 11th spot in the Premier League table with 19 points, although they have a game in hand, and securing all three points could see them vault into the top half.
Strengthening in January will be crucial, and the club have been linked with a move for Bristol City striker Antonio Semenyo in recent months with it potentially being a case of second time lucky for the club, as they were also linked with the player during the summer.
A move for Semenyo could finally give Vieira a licence to ditch Jean-Philippe Mateta, who has struggled this season to say the least.
In fact, since joining on an initial 18-month loan deal in January 2021 – which was made permanent in 2022 – Mateta has scored just nine goals for the club in 48 matches, and with just one strike to his name this season, Vieira surely needs to improve his attacking options.
Last season, Semenyo impressed in the Championship, registering 20 goal contributions – eight goals and 12 assists – and this form led to the aforementioned interest from Palace in the summer.
The goals have been hard to come by this campaign, however, with the 22-year-old netting on just four occasions and grabbing two assists before the World Cup break, yet this was enough to be selected for the Ghana squad for the competition.
He only managed two substitute appearances in Qatar, although the experience will surely stand him in good stead and he will be eyeing a move to the top flight in order to continue his development.
Nigel Pearson praised Semenyo last season, saying: “He is a real threat with his power and pace – he must be a nightmare to play against! His challenge now is to keep developing and adding elements to his game to make him even more effective.”
Vieira can certainly bolster his options by signing the Ghana international and with his contract expiring at the end of the season, the Frenchman could land the club a bargain, while ditching Mateta in the process.
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