Transfer News: Crystal Palace set to sign Odsonne Edouard

Crystal Palace are reportedly closing in on a deadline day move for Odsonne Edouard, with the Celtic striker set to complete his medical today.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Crystal Palace’s search for a striker appears to be finally over, with the Eagles set to complete an eleventh-hour move for Frenchman Odsonne Edouard. The 23-year-old Celtic ace has reportedly arrived in London to have his medical at the club’s training complex ahead of a prospective €19 million switch to Selhurst Park.

Crystal Palace boss Patrick Viera has been keen to bolster his side’s striking options throughout the window. It looked like the Eagles were set to capture Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah, but the deal appears to have stalled due to the vast differences in valuation of the 22-year-old between both London clubs.

And with the transfer deadline fast approaching, the Eagles have decided to shift their attention to an alternative in prolific French centre-forward Odsonne Edouard. The dynamic striker arrived at Celtic from Paris Saint-Germain back in June 2018 following an excellent year-long loan spell.

Since joining from PSG, Edouard has proved to be a masterstroke from the Hoops, racking up 83 goals and 22 assists in 165 appearances across all competitions, helping the Scottish giants to win three successive Scottish Championships during his tenure. He has also shone in Europe, netting seven goals and laying two assists in 15 UEFA Europa League starts for the Bhoys over three seasons.

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The 23-year-old French striker was the only bright spots in an otherwise dismal 2020/21 campaign for Celtic, scoring 22 goals and providing six assists in what was a modest return by his standards.

Edouard is the perfect modern-age striker, capable of playing anywhere in the front three or as a 10 right behind the target man. He is not a traditional striker who depends entirely on the service and his finishing ability. He is also a creative force and possesses decent pace and acceleration to play on the edge of the opponent’s defensive line.

Edouard is expected to be Crystal Palace’s final signing in what has been a fantastic window for the Eagles, who have refreshed and restructured the old setup by bringing through the door some extremely talented players in the likes of Marc Guehi, Joachim Andersen, Michael Olise, Conor Gallagher and recently Will Hughes.

All that now remains is for Crystal Palace to complete the medical tests before finally making the announcement to sign Edouard from Celtic, in what will be a deal worth around €18 million to €19 million to secure the services of the 23-year-old.