Crystal Palace are tipped to sign Liverpool right-back Nathaniel Clyne as Aaron Wan-Bissaka is closing in on a move to Manchester United.
According to a report from Football London, the Red Devils have struck a deal to bring the 21-year-old right-back to Old Trafford for a fee of £50 million, so Palace are keen to replace one academy graduate with another as they look to move in for Clyne.
The former Crystal Palace academy graduate spent the second half of the 2018/19 campaign on loan at Bournemouth, where he made 15 appearances in all competitions.
Is Nathaniel Clyne a good option for Crystal Palace?
The 28-year-old, who features as a right-back for Liverpool, saw his playing time reduce substantially after Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold impressed in the same role.
Clyne made a mere 5 appearances for Liverpool in the first half of last season, and as a result, was sent out on loan to Bournemouth in the January transfer window.
The full-back, who rose through the ranks at Palace, and made it to the first team in the summer of 2008. Clyne left for Southampton four years later for a mere €3.2 million in July 2012.
The English International has been defensively solid but lacks a certain edge going forward, which remains a key attribute for modern-day full-backs.
Clyne managed an average of 2.1 tackles, 1 interception and 1.6 clearances per game last season, which prove that defensively he is a sound option to have.
However, his passing skills and ability to cross from the flanks seem like a major worry. He managed a pass success percentage of 76.9 and a subpar 0.2 crosses and 0.9 long balls per 90 minutes in all competitions in the recently concluded campaign.
With a height of 5ft 7in, Clyne isn’t the strongest when it comes to aerial duels. He managed 0.3 aerial duels won per game across all competitions last season.
One of the reasons why Clyne has seen fewer minutes on the pitch for Liverpool in recent seasons is his attacking prowess, something Alexander-Arnold has in his locker.
Palace, however, aren’t as expansive in their style, so going after Clyne wouldn’t be the worst choice as he is a good player to have defensively.
Roy Hodgson’s will lose a good and tenacious player in Wan-Bissaka, and at least Clyne can replace that with his ability.
Stat Courtesy: Transfermarkt, Whoscored
