Crystal Palace’s gamble by appointing Sam Allardyce to the managerial post at the Selhurst Park yielded the requisite dividends as the 62-year-old fended off relegation.
Alan Pardew left the London-based outfit in a horribly awkward scenario and it was Big Sam who erected a resurrection with his shrewd tactical nous and management skills and went on to bag a 14th place finish in the 2016-17 season of the Premier League with 41 points.
Having escaped from the jaws of the axe, it would have been interesting to see how Allardyce would have shaped things on his own but he quit in a shocking turn of events and after much pondering the club has appointed Frank de Boer as the man to utilise the treasure trove of talent at the club.
Apparently, reports are pointing out that Crystal Palace have thoroughly invested themselves into the idea of luring Norwich City’s attacking midfielder Jacob Murphy to their ranks this summer.
Norwich City failed to cultivate anything substantial for themselves in the Championship last campaign. The Canaries could muster merely an 8th place finish in the 2016-17 season of Sky Bet Championship and the club is seemingly likely to lose some of their players during the transfer window owing to their inability to derive the best out of what they had at their disposal.
Murphy, who was in a stellar form, might vouch for an outlet personally as he would want to taste the lucre and competitiveness of the Premier League and Crystal Palace would be an appealing destination for him.
The Englishman is a versatile player who could play on either wing as well on the left-hand side of the midfield. As a winger, he loves to cut inside and shoot from the edge of the box, is clinical and crosses the ball well.
He possesses the tendency to constantly look for offensive aspects, keeps the opposition’s defenders guessing about his movements and no wonder why his stocks have been on the rise for quite some time now.
The 22-year-old banged 9 goals and registered 6 assists in 37 appearances last term, with 0.7 crosses and 1.2 key passes per game on an average.
Though his passing, defensive contributions and ability to hold the ball aren’t really compelling, he has the age factor on his side and if he decides to get under the tutelage of someone like De Boer, he could brush up himself and thrive really well in the Premier League.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
