Despite the significant improvement of Jean-Philippe Mateta this season, Crystal Palace are still looking to sign a new striker.
The Frenchman is arguably favourite to win our Player of the Season award at the moment after netting against Manchester City on Saturday – it was his fourth goal in six Premier League appearances under Oliver Glasner.
Crystal Palace’s No.14 now has ten goals and four assists in 32 appearances this season, which is a fantastic return for someone who found himself benched behind Odsonne Edouard at the start of the season.
However, Dougie Freedman could soon sign a towering competitor for Jean-Philippe Mateta at Crystal Palace…
Crystal Palace now want to sign 6ft 5in striker
Well – according to the South London Press – Edouard could be sold this summer.
The Frenchman has fallen out of favour amid the rise of Mateta, with Glasner yet to start the Crystal Palace No.22 since replacing Roy Hodgson.
If Edouard is sold, Crystal Palace could sign Thierno Barry as his replacement – according to D Sports.
It is said that the FC Basel No.9 has emerged as a target for Freedman as the Glaswegian prepares to overhaul Glasner’s thin squad – and ensure this miserable 2023/24 campaign is not repeated next season.
Barry – who stand at 6ft 5in – is starting to make a name for himself in Switzerland after a quiet start to the 2023/24 campaign.
The French striker has scored seven goals in his last ten Swiss Super League appearances after failing to score in his first 18 league outings of the season.
As a result, Barry currently sits on ten goals and four assists in 30 games across all competitions.
Dougie Freedman has a tough decision to make with Thierno Barry
Reading how Barry’s 2023/24 campaign has turned out so far, you could argue that the 21-year-old’s current run is simply a purple patch.
There is every chance of Freedman signing the Lyon-born striker, only for him to actually play more like the forward who failed to score in 18 Swiss Super League appearances this season.
However, you could also argue that Barry is on the cusp of a breakthrough campaign, and Crystal Palace could be the ones to snap him up before he becomes a sensation across Europe.
It means Freedman has a tough decision to make, as Crystal Palace’s Director of Football must debate whether to keep scouting this giant of a striker to be safe, or take a gamble and move early.
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