Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira has said that he hopes to improve his side by signing a striker in the next few weeks. However, he has insisted that the Selhurst Park side may have to wait until the end of the window to sign replacements with Odsonne Edouard potentially being their main target.
Speaking yesterday, Vieira said that he wants a striker in the door as he looks to strengthen his squad. The Frenchman could link up with Celtic’s star striker, even if he does not name him as Palace have been cited as holding an interest in the 23-year-old.
🗣”We are working hard to improve the squad.”
Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira reveals the club are trying to sign a few more players before the end of the transfer window.#CPFC
— CPFC Transfers HQ (@CPFCtransfersHQ) August 13, 2021
Celtic signed Kyogo Furuhashi from Vissel Kobe, who has impressed since arriving. Leigh Griffiths and Albian Ajeti are other options for Ange Postecoglou for the first team if Edouard moves, meaning he may sanction a move if the Frenchman moves on. Vieira will know that the opportunity at Palace for Edouard to develop is unique but only if the price is right, with the Eagles having a reputation for being shrewd in the transfer market as well as taking their time.
Vieira told London News Online that it would take a while for the team to gel but that he is going to target the end of the window to bring in recruits to make sure that his new side are competitive.
“We all know it will take time to gel as a team. We lost 10 players, and we have brought in five, that is why we are quite light in numbers. That’s why the end of this window will be really important for us to bring in more players – that will allow us to become more competitive.
“As a football club, we thought that it was the right time to do it – we had to do it. It’s the end of a cycle, and it’s important to start a new one. When you make those decisions, it’s not an easy decision to make, but the club has been really brave to make those decisions.”
According to a report last month from The Guardian, Vieira is keen on Edouard as he looks to bolster his options and really turn Palace into an established top-half outfit. The move would mean that Edouard would reunite with one of his former colleagues at PSG’s Academy, Said Aïgoun.
Aïgoun was recently appointed as Palace’s new Development Coach, joining up as part of Vieira’s coaching staff. Edouard has 87 goals to his name since joining Celtic in 2017. It is widely expected that he will leave the club this summer but the clubs that are reportedly being linked with Edouard are beginning to dry up after the player’s move to Leicester City collapsed. He had been expected to complete a move to reunite with Brendan Rodgers after Edouard endured a quiet season by his standards last year, with 22 goals and 6 assists.
It would appear that a move for Edouard could go down to the wire as Celtic look to offload the attacker. If the club could earn a fee of around £18-20m, then it would represent good value for the player who has just one year remaining on his deal. Celtic would ideally sell the player promptly in order to reinvest into the playing squad.
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