Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira made it no secret in January that the club were looking to improve their goalscoring woes through the transfer market.
Neither Jean-Philippe Mateta nor Odsonne Edouard have done enough this season to make the centre forward spot their own, netting just four league goals between them this season, albeit with chances in front of goal scarce this campaign.
This lack of goals currently permeates through the entire squad however, with Vieira’s side only scoring six league goals in ten matches since Boxing Day.
(All statistics sourced from FBref.com)
“There is an option to improve that side of the game,” said Vieira, referring to whether Palace would look to bring in a forward option in the Winter transfer window.
“We have identified the names of those players that we wanted. Now everything is in the hands of the football club to try and make it happen.
“But at the same time, it is not an easy one – it’s a really difficult and complicated one.”
Palace failed to bring in an attacking player yet were successful in acquiring central midfielders Naouirou Ahamada from VfB Stuttgart and Albert Sambi Lokonga on a six-month loan from Premier League leaders Arsenal.
It is yet to be seen whether improving their midfield will increase Palace’s chance creation, but Mateta and Edouard will be hoping added support to Cheick Doucoure in midfield will in turn allow the likes of Michael Olise, Wilfried Zaha and Eberechi Eze more opportunities on the ball to create.
While there appear no immediate plans to move either forward on, Mateta was the subject of interest across the continent during the January transfer window, with Fanatik reporting Galatasaray were in contact with his representatives. Everton were also reported in The Sun to have enquired about the Frenchman on Deadline Day but were rebuffed by Palace’s £15m asking price as Sean Dyche desperately scrambled to bring in a centre forward of his own.
Here are five forwards Palace may look to sign as alternatives or replacements in the Summer transfer window:
1. Viktor Gyökeres
The Coventry City talisman is enjoying another fine season in the Championship with the play-off outsiders, notching an impressive 15 goals and 5 assists in 33 appearances and catching the eye of many Premier League sides.
90min reported that Palace enquired about the availability of the Swede before the start of the January transfer window yet chose not to follow up on this interest.
The South London side would likely have to fend off interest from domestic rivals, with Everton and Leeds United both strongly linked to the striker in The Sun, yet both refused to meet Coventry’s £25m January price tag. With neither Everton nor Leeds’ Premier League safety secured and Gyökeres soon to enter the final 12 months of his contract, Palace could potentially capitalize on a reduced fee to secure his services.
Tony Mowbray recently compared Gyökeres to Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, after his Sunderland side fell victim to a masterclass from the Swede who recorded one and assisted another in a 2-1 win.
“The way he buys himself space to shoot is pretty impressive. Coventry did well to hold onto him, he looks a really talented boy,” Mowbray said.
“Who is like him in the Premier League at the moment? You would suggest Haaland is like that. And Gyökeres, in this league, looks a yard faster and stronger than the players he plays against in the Championship.”
There are immediate questions over whether Palace would be prepared to pay over the odds for a player without any Premier League experience, yet moves for Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise and Marc Guehi suggest the Eagles are not afraid of delving into the Championship to acquire first team players.
Likelihood rating: 7/10
2. Elye Wahi
Since his debut for Montpellier, Wahi has scored 20 goals in France’s top tier, second only to Kylian Mbappe of Ligue 1 top scorers before reaching the age of 20.
Having just turned 20, there should still be room to improve for the France U19 forward, yet he still attracted interest in the January window from the likes of Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, Nice and Monaco.
Despite Wahi’s 8 goals in 21 league games so far this season, Montpellier sit 14th, six points above the Ligue 1 relegation zone yet a recent upturn in form means they should avoid a nervy end to the season.
His strength and pace, combined with outperforming his xG over the past two seasons point towards a ruthless finisher, yet his passing inaccuracy and inconsistency in aerial duels suggest he may not possess all the traits Patrick Vieira wants in his lone centre forward.
During the Winter transfer window, the Occitan club placed a €30m price tag on Wahi, which put off potential suitors, but a recent change in agent has led to many believing the youngster will leave before his Montpellier contract expires in 2025.
While Palace may have to fight off fierce competition across the continent, the promise of first team football, a large increase in salary and a chance to showcase his talents in the Premier League weekly could prove tempting, but a fee may prove too rich for the South London side.
Likelihood rating – 5/10
3. Chuba Akpom
Returning to the British Isles, a report from The Daily Mail at the start of January stated Palace were among three Premier League teams, alongside Everton and Southampton, monitoring former Arsenal youngster Chuba Akpom.
After failing to break into the Arsenal first team setup, Akpom, now 27, joined Super League Greece side PAOK after a series of unsuccessful loans, impressing enough to earn a return to England with Championship side Middlesbrough.
Despite an underwhelming first season with the Teesside club, followed by another year with PAOK on loan, his 19 goals in 27 seasons so far, coinciding with the appointment of Michael Carrick as manager, have helped to propel Middlesbrough into 3rd with an outside chance of automatic promotion, seven points behind Sheffield United in 2nd.
A move never materialised in the Winter window for the Championship top scorer, with Akpom himself downplaying any potential transfer in the near future, but his current Middlesbrough contract expires in the summer of 2024.
Speaking in an interview with The Sun, he said: “I’m happy at the club and cannot complain. Everyone is positive with me and friendly. There are good vibes going round the whole club.
“I’ve got my feet on the ground and trying to work hard to continue the form I am in so it’s all smiles from me!”
Whether there was genuine interest from Palace remains to be seen, although Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman had previously loaned Akpom back in 2015, when manager of Nottingham Forest.
Akpom’s lack of goalscoring consistency across his career and a shift in transfer policy towards younger players mean there will likely be alternatives ahead of the former England youth international in the pecking order, but he could provide a cheaper option if necessary.
Likelihood rating – 5/10
4. Lois Openda
The Belgium international is enjoying a stellar start to life at RC Lens since joining on a €9.8m deal from Club Brugge last summer, helping fire Les Sang et Or into 4th in Ligue 1 and in real contention for a European finish.
Openda has netted 9 times in Ligue 1 so far this campaign in 25 matches, following on from an impressive two-year loan at Vitesse, scoring 29 goals across two seasons in the Eredivisie.
Everton were reported to have launched a bid to sign the Belgian in the Winter transfer window by French journalist Ignazio Genuardi, but were immediately turned down, while AC Milan consider Openda a target to pursue in the summer.
Palace have previous in dealing with Lens after securing the purchase of midfielder Chieck Doucoure last July for a reported €26m fee, yet the French side may be less inclined to sell their main striker, having just signed him less than 12 months ago and Champions League football next season a possibility.
While Openda’s goal tallies at Lens and Vitesse are above average, he has also underperformed his xG in the last two seasons, suggesting he might not be as clinical as necessary in Vieira’s current system where clear chances are few and far between.
With Milan quoted a reported €20m fee for his services, it is doubtful that Palace would pay a bumper fee for a player who is not a guaranteed upgrade on either Mateta or Edouard, who boasted similar and in some cases, superior goalscoring records prior to joining.
Likelihood rating – 4/10
5. Olivier Giroud
The most decorated and experienced player in this list by a distance is World Cup winner and all-time leading France national team goal scorer forward Olivier Giroud.
According to a recent article from The Sun, the Frenchman is open to a Premier League return to preferably a London club, with Palace among potential destinations, alongside West Ham, Brentford and Fulham.
The 36-year-old is still a key figure at AC Milan, scoring 7 goals in Serie A and 4 goals in the Champions League this campaign, just a season after playing a crucial role in the Rossoneri winning the 2021/22 league title.
Giroud, whose contract expires at the end of the season, scored over 90 Premier League goal in two stints at Arsenal and Chelsea, including a FIFA Puskas Award winning effort for his scorpion kick against Palace at The Emirates.
There is no denying his pedigree and his performances at the 2022 Qatar World Cup cemented that Giroud still has a lot to offer at a high level, but a move to Palace currently seems unlikely due to his age and reported current £75,000 a week week wage.
However, any move would no doubt be met with great enthusiasm by the Palace faithful, even if it was a stop-gap signing for a longer-term option.
Likelihood rating – 3/10