Crystal Palace supporters in the Transfer Tavern are eagerly anticipating the 2018/19 Premier League season, what with their team seeking to improve upon their solid 11th place finish last time round.

The Eagles were in serious trouble very early on in the campaign after losing their first seven league games, all of which without scoring, although the appointment of former England chief Roy Hodgson certainly changed their fortunes. The 70-year-old, drafted in as Frank de Boer’s replacement just four games into the season, may well have lost his first three matches in charge, although he then led the London club to 44 points from their last 31 Premier League games to eventually end up 11 points clear of the bottom three.

As such, there are many optimistic and expectant Palace fans in the Tavern at present, several of whom are hoping that their team can replicate the transfer masterstroke of midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek this summer.

And many reckon that fellow Chelsea youngster Jeremie Boga, valued at £2.25 million by Transfermarkt, should be the one they target in a bid to repeat the Loftus-Cheek success story.

Ultimately, England international Loftus-Cheek played a crucial role in helping to steer the Eagles away from the bottom three last season, with the 22-year-old netting twice and laying on four assists in all competitions for the London-based outfit.

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And while those figures are hardly ground-breaking, much of what good Hodgson’s side did in the final third of the pitch came through the Englishman, who was subsequently rewarded for his efforts by England manager Gareth Southgate, who included him in his 23-man squad for this summer’s World Cup.

And while Loftus-Cheek had appeared fleetingly for Chelsea prior to his move to Selhurst Park, he certainly wasn’t a household name, much like Blues teammate Boga, who will also be waiting for his moment to shine after a few loan spells in his career to date.

The 20-year-old spent last season on loan at Birmingham City and made 31 Championship appearances for the second tier strugglers, while he has also spent time on loan at Rennes and Granada in his bid to accumulate much-needed first team experience.

But he is clearly highly-rated by the Chelsea hierarchy given that he appeared in the opening game of their Premier League season last term, and after seeing the rise of Loftus-Cheek at Palace last season, they may feel that Boga needs a move of that ilk to realise his potential.

And with Palace likely to be eyeing further reinforcements in the attacking third of the pitch, what with Andros Townsend one man in particular that could move away, the 21-year-old Ivory Coast international could be someone they target.

Obviously, there will be some concerns among our resident Palace fans that Boga has little experience of Premier League football, but Loftus-Cheek was hardly a Blues regular, while the meteoric rise of Andreas Christiansen in the Chelsea first team suggests that there is genuine quality to come out of the Blues ranks.

Thus, the Eagles should seek to replicate the transfer masterstroke of Loftus-Cheek by moving for his Chelsea teammate Boga this summer.

Palace fans… what do you think? Let us know!