Crystal Palace look set to miss out on Antoine Semenyo this month but Patrick Vieira‘s side could land an upgrade in Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres.
The Eagles have been in competition with Bournemouth for Bristol City striker Semenyo after his impressive performances for Nigel Pearson’s side in the Championship but it seems as if he is now heading to the Cherries.
Vieira’s side have also been linked with Gyokeres recently as a result of his superb displays in the second tier and the stats suggest that the Sweden international would be a far better option if Palace do bring in another striker before next week’s deadline.
This season has seen the former Brighton man light up the Championship with the Sky Blues, hitting 12 goals and two assists in 27 appearances, with WhoScored awarding him a strong 6.97 rating for his performances.
Considering this would rank him as the top performer at Selhurst Park, while his goal tally is also double the amount of Palace’s top goalscorer Wilfried Zaha, it is easy to see why Vieira might be keen on bringing the 24-year-old in this month.
While any deal for Gyokeres is likely to cost Palace around £18m, their lack of recent goals is a real cause for concern, and that fee will be just a drop in the ocean if it ensures the Eagles avoid relegation to the Championship this term.
Coventry boss Mark Robins certainly seems to think that his star striker has what it takes to play at the top level, as he sang his praises earlier in the season.
He said:
“He’s not the finished article by any stretch of the imagination but he has some unbelievable ability – power, technique. He has got everything in his locker and that desire and hunger to score goals.”
While Gyokeres currently sits second in the goalscoring charts in the Championship with 12 goals, Semenyo has managed just six goals in Bristol City colours so far this campaign.
He has also averaged fewer shots (1.7 vs 2.8), key passes (0.4 vs 1.3) and dribbles (one vs 1.8) per game in the second tier this season, which suggests that the Swedish forward is the more complete player, via WhoScored.
Therefore, if Semenyo does complete a move to AFC Bournemouth, Vieira should look at Gyokeres as a perfect alternative, as it seems clear that the Eagles need attacking reinforcements before the window closes.
from FootballFanCast.com https://ift.tt/4kFKI2S
via IFTTT