When it comes down to Crystal Palace, a discussion about their strikers (or lack of) is usually something that follows. Roy Hodgson looked to address it in the January transfer window with the arrival of Michy Batshuayi, however, the Eagles must look to solve the problem this summer as well if they are not to be involved in another relegation battle.
And, it would seem the club have been looking at a potential option from South America to try and answer the problem.
What’s the News?
According to Marca Claro, Crystal Palace have made contact with River Plate about signing Rafael Santos Borre in the summer.
The Colombian striker has been in good form for the Argentine outfit this season, having netted seven goals in his 21 appearances.
He could cost them in the region of €30million (£25.7m) though, as River have protected him with a release clause after recently spending €7m (£5.9m) to acquire 100% of his registration.
The Verdict:
Crystal Palace definitely need to find a new striker to solve their crisis and Santos Borre appears to be a good fit for the club on paper. As mentioned, the 23-year-old has been in some good form for River Plate this season and has been able to find the back of the net on a number of occasions.
The Colombian is a ridiculously pacey forward, has plenty of intelligence regarding decisions when in possession and has a good reading of the game. He is also a strong and physical player who has the ability to get past a number of defenders and can create opportunities from nothing.
However, as he is still young, he still has areas of weakness that should probably make Crystal Palace think twice about the forward. He is very inconsistent and can become overconfident when on the ball, which can then mean that he loses possession a number of times.
Santos Borre also has the tendency to go on a run of putting in a few good performances before hitting a real barren run and can then really struggle to get back to the form he had been showing, which was evident during his previous time in Europe with Atletico Madrid and Villarreal.
Crystal Palace will need a striker who can perform consistently in the Premier League next season and, therefore, may be better off looking at other options than Santos Borre.
Crystal Palace fans, what do you think? Do you believe the club should take a chance on Santos Borre? Or do you think they should maybe target someone with more experience within European competition? Join in with the discussion below by sharing your thoughts with us.
