We are all too familiar with the hectic transfer shenanigans of last summer and co chairman Steve Parish has been promising a more calculated policy this time around. Finally it seems to be bearing fruit. Obviously until a deal is signed and said players are wearing the red and blue stripes of the Eagles nothing is for certain but having been following transfer gossip for many years now these deals are showing all the right signs of becoming a reality.
Steven Caulker fits the perfect mould of a strong reliable centre back. At just 22 he is young enough to carry on developing his football skills and knowledge whilst old enough to have played numerous league games and already have the skill and confidence to shine as a first team regular. We know he came from the Tottenham youth team and after failing to break into the first team there moved to Cardiff at the beginning of last season for roughly the amount being touted that we may pay for him. He played nearly every game for Cardiff and despite them being relegated was one of their best players. He has also been a regular in England U19s and U21s squads. With 82 Premier League appearances at only 22 years old he has experience and potential in abundance, he could quite possibly be our most important signing of the summer.
Gylfi Sigurdsson is a dynamic attacking midfielder who can also operate comfortably on either wing. At age 24 he, like Caulker, is reasonably young in football terms, has plenty of experience and is still full of potential. He played in Germany before joining the Premier League and has 23 full international caps for Iceland scoring 5 times. I don’t believe we currently have a player like Gylfi at Palace right now, the closest being Johnny Williams but i see him more as a midfield general as opposed to Sigurdsson who plays more in and around the box, bursting from midfield to hopefully score and set up plenty of goals.
By all reports Palace have had bids accepted for both these players and with bigger and richer clubs also showing strong interest for us to sign them shows real ambition and an intelligent transfer policy. Throw in the potential signing of Frazier Campbell too at a cut price of less than £1 million and competition for first team places really hots up. Although he hasn’t fulfilled his early potential, Campbell has plenty of experience and an eye for goal when on form and will be great competition and back up for the other strikers at the club. Potentially we have the beginnings of an impressive squad who will aim to stay in the Premier League and possibly challenge for cup honours, although safety for another season would be enough to keep this supporter more than happy.