Crystal Palace want Tim Krul, according to Chronicle Live.

The goalkeeper is on Palace's radar, with former Newcastled United boss Alan Pardew leading the charge for his former colleague. Yet, the Magpies insist that no bids have been made yet for their number one stopper.

Is Speroni's number one status under threat?

Palace already have three 'keepers on their books, but with Pardew having been appointed midway through the season, he is looking to use this transfer window to put a stamp on the team and believes that Krul would best challenge current number one Julian Speroni for his starting role.

Speroni made a number of uncharacteristic mistakes towards the end of the 2014-15 season, so it's understandable that Pardew is concerned with the lack of competition he has for his role. If he is forced to work harder to maintain a starting berth, these errors will be much less likely.

Current Wales number one Wayne Hennessey was signed last January to challenge Speroni, but has failed to do so. Bought from Wolverhampton Wanderers for the large sum of £1.6 million, with add-ons also coming on top of that, Hennessey has certainly been a big flop at Palace, playing just eight games in all competitions in the last 18 months.

He has a further two years on his contract, whilst third choice Chris Kettings has a year remaining on his, signing a two-year deal last summer with the club on a move from Blackpool, where he failed to make an appearance in his seven years with the club. He is yet to play for Palace either.

With Pardew chasing Krul and Speroni having signed a furhter one-year deal earlier this summer, it would not be a surprise to see either Hennessey or Kettings, or both, leave the club this summer, especially with the former wanting to play regularly to keep his number one shirt with his country.

Krul would be a fantastic addition

Krul joined Newcastle back in 2005 as a 17-year-old, linking up with their youth academy after leaving Dutch club ADO Den Haag's own youth set-up, where he had spent nine years already.

The 'keeper broke into their first team just a year later, albeit not on a regular basis, making one appearance in the 2006-07 season in the UEFA Cup. Loan spells with Falkirk and Carlisle United in the following two seasons helped him propel his name into the manager's thoughts though, and he would make eight appearances for the Toon in the 2009-10 season as they were promoted back to the Premier League.

It was Pardew who really gave the Dutch stopper his chance though, arriving in 2010 and immediately promoting Krul to the number one spot, with him playing 25 games that season. He has since kept his place in the team and made 176 appearances for the club.

Krul's performances at Newcastle have helped him earn seven caps with the Netherlands too, most notably in the 2014 FIFA World Cup against Costa Rica when he was subbed on late into extra time for Jasper Cillessen in preparation for penalties. He saved two of the five spot kicks he faced, helping his nation progress to the semi-finals.

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About the author
Amee Ruszkai
Head of the Sunderland, Swansea City and women football sections at VAVEL UK. Email: [email protected]