Crystal Palace Will Have To Pay £20million For Attacking Ace: Is He Worth The Money?

Premier League side Crystal Palace have reportedly joined the race to sign Liverpool winger Harry Wilson.

Wilson, a Liverpool academy graduate, may not have too many opportunities with the first-team next season.

Several Premier League sides are interested in signing Wilson apart from Crystal Palace, and the Premier League champions want £20 million for the 23-year-old Welshman, as per Mirror.

The likes of Newcastle United, Southampton, and newly-promoted Leeds United are also keen on signing the winger.

Wilson spent last season on loan at Bournemouth, where he scored seven times in 35 appearances for the club. The Welsh international still has three years remaining on his current contract with the Merseyside outfit.

Is Harry Wilson worth the money?

Harry Wilson is a direct-running winger, who likes to cut in from the right side into central areas with his strong left foot.

The winger is fearless and likes to take on defences, while he has the technical ability to pick out passes – long or short. He averaged 1.4 long balls per game last season for Bournemouth and averaged 1.8 shots on goal per game.

Wilson is a player that is not afraid to shoot from distance, and did so with great success in the 2018-19 season for Derby County, where he racked up 18 goals in the Championship. He has a lot of promise, and can become a very good Premier League player in the future. But, he will need regular top-flight football to develop further.

Crystal Palace need a player like him who can play on the front foot and run at defences, which is something they have lacked on the right side of attack.

Palace’s Wilfred Zaha has been good over on the left side, but the Eagles haven’t had the same creativity on the opposite side. Andros Townsend has blown hot and cold, while the only other option for manager Roy Hodgson on the right was Jordan Ayew, who is a natural centre forward.

The addition of Wilson will give Hodgson more options on the right, while also adding freshness and creativity in attack. He is just 23 years of age, which perhaps makes the £20 million a reasonable sum to pay. With Zaha most likely set to leave the club, Palace can use the funds from that sale to buy Wilson.

Stats via Whoscored