---
title: "Crystal Palace: Eagles launch Primeira Liga scouting mission"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/crystal-palace-transfer-news-eagles-launch-primeira-liga-scouting-mission-pepe-patrick-vieira/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "David Comerford"
section: "Crystal Palace News"
published: "2022-09-06T16:11:39Z"
modified: "2022-09-06T16:11:39Z"
---

# Crystal Palace: Eagles launch Primeira Liga scouting mission

**Crystal Palace officials watched FC Porto in action on Saturday, including one summer transfer target, according to a report from Portuguese newspaper O Jogo (via [Sport Witness](https://sportwitness.co.uk/crystal-palace-west-ham-send-scouts-match-already-planning-future-windows/)).**

### The lowdown

Palace spent [£31.14million](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/crystal-palace/transfers/verein/873) in the transfer window just gone, bringing in four new faces – midfielder Cheick Doucoure, defender Chris Richards, goalkeeper Sam Johnstone and winger Malcolm Ebiowei.

[Only Leicester City and Bournemouth](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/premier-league/einnahmenausgaben/wettbewerb/GB1/plus/0?ids=a&sa=&saison_id=2022&saison_id_bis=2022&nat=&pos=&altersklasse=&w_s=&leihe=ohne&intern=1) recorded lower expenditures in the summer market, and only the Foxes made fewer additions.

Palace haven’t signed a player from the Portuguese top flight [since the winter of 2018](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/crystal-palace/alletransfers/verein/873), when they brought in midfielder Erdal Rakip on loan from Benfica.

### The latest

[The report states](https://sportwitness.co.uk/crystal-palace-west-ham-send-scouts-match-already-planning-future-windows/) that Palace sent scouts to watch Porto take on Gil Vicente at the Estadio Cidade de Barcelos.

The reigning Primeira Liga champions would run out 2-0 winners thanks to quick-fire goals from Medhi Taremi and Galeno shortly before half time.

\[freshpress-quiz id=”383675″\]

### The verdict

Who was the object of Palace’s attention? Well, the likeliest candidate is probably the winger Pepe.

[A Bola previously reported](https://sportwitness.co.uk/crystal-palace-collected-information-wingers-situation-eagles-contact-signing/) that the Eagles had ‘collected information’ about the player and were keen on signing him.

Palace were [said to be willing](https://sportwitness.co.uk/crystal-palace-collected-information-wingers-situation-eagles-contact-signing/) to pay [a record fee](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/crystal-palace/transferrekorde/verein/873) of £43m to secure the deal, though Porto were asking for £51m and the player’s release clause is even higher at £60m.

The 25-year-old, who has [14 G/A in 48 games for Porto](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/pepe/leistungsdaten/spieler/520662), is [predominantly a left winger](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/pepe/leistungsdaten/spieler/520662/plus/0?saison=ges), and so may be viewed as a potential successor to [the out-of-contract Wilfried Zaha](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/wilfried-zaha/profil/spieler/145988).

However, he was deployed as a right-back for [just the sixth time in his professional career on Saturday](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/pepe/leistungsdaten/spieler/520662/plus/0?saison=ges).

He turned in a decent performance across 83 minutes on the pitch, completing two out of three dribbles and creating a chance (via [SofaScore](https://www.sofascore.com/team/football/fc-porto/3002)).

Porto open their Champions League campaign against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, and Palace might have one eye on them again.