Crystal Palace are eyeing a midfielder move, with Boubakary Soumare and Conor Gallagher among the names being considered.
According to The Sun, Crystal Palace are eyeing a midfielder before the window closes, as Patrick Vieira feels the team is short in the position. Conor Gallagher and Boubakary Soumare are being considered, although the latter could be more achievable.
Crystal Palace are active in the market for another midfielder before the window shuts. Patrick Vieira remains open to bringing in a new player ahead of the deadline, although their options could be few in the remaining days of the window.
Cheick Doucoure was the big midfielder signing this summer for Palace, although Vieira feels the need for another player with a different profile. The Frenchman ideally wanted Conor Gallagher, but the Chelsea star may be unachievable at this stage.
Gallagher has endured a difficult start to his Chelsea career and was sent off against Leicester City on Saturday. There are barely any indications from the Stamford Bridge outlet or the player that he wants to depart. The England international spent last season at Selhurst Park and knew Vieira’s system.
However, with the general feeling of not being able to achieve the Gallagher signing, Vieira is ready to pivot and look at alternatives. Houssem Aouar is being mentioned, but Leicester’s Boubakary Soumare could be their primary target.
Soumare has endured a difficult first season in England since signing for Leicester last summer from Lille. He has not adjusted to Brendan Rodgers’ ideas at the club, which saw him being used sporadically. If an opportunity arises, the Foxes could look to offload the player in this window.
Crystal Palace are interested in Soumare, who may cost around £17 million, a sum Leicester City paid for him last summer. However, the Foxes are reportedly considering sending him out on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season.
Palace, keen on a new midfielder, may look to agree to such a deal and look to bring Soumare to Selhurst Park. Whether he copes with Vieira’s system would have to be seen in the season ahead.
Brendan Rodgers told BBC Radio Leicester that Soumare will be staying put at the club.
After the game with Chelsea on Saturday, Rodgers said “ Soumare has trained well and we had a discussion where he wishes to stay at the club. He doesn’t want to leave on the back of the disappointment of last year and wants to put things right.”
Soumare started the game ahead of Ndidi in Leicester’s 2-1 defeat at Chelsea.
Despite interest from Palace and Monaco the former Lille midfielder will be staying at the KP Stadium.
Rodgers added “there has been a lot of interest in him and he did come very close to leaving the club, but will now be staying.”
It would seem that the club he was close to joining was Monaco but it collapsed.