Crystal Palace update should have Blackburn Rovers and Hull City on red alert: Opinion
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi remained at Selhurst Park over the summer
Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi missed out on a loan move in the summer transfer window despite interest from several Championship clubs.
Palace decided not to sanction a loan move for Rak-Sakyi to maintain depth in their first-team squad, but with the return of injured players, his game time may be limited.
Rak-Sakyi’s potential availability in the January transfer window could be a major coup for Championship clubs, given his previous success and the competition for his signature.
As is often the case, there were plenty of transfer between the Premier League and Championship over the course of the summer transfer window.
Many of those deals were loan moves for young players dropping down to the second-tier, in search of regular game time.
For a good deal of those individuals, such deals are a big opportunity for them to get some useful experience at a highly competitive level under their belt, and show those at their parent clubs that they deserve a chance in the top-flight the following campaign.
However, one player who seemingly missed out on such a move during the most recent transfer window, was Crystal Palace’s Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.
That however, was not for the want of trying, with a long list of Championship clubs linked with temporary moves for the winger.
Who was interested in Rak-Sakyi, and why?
To begin with, it was no surprise to see a whole host of clubs credited with an interest in Rak-Sakyi over the course of the summer.
Last season saw the 21-year-old spend time on loan in League One with Charlton Athletic, were he certainly excelled.
During his spell at The Valley, Rak-Sakyi scored 15 goals and provided eight assists in 43 league appearances for the Addicks, winning the club’s Player of the Year award come the end of the campaign.
Having proven his capabilities in the third-tier, a loan move to the Championship to show what he can do at that level, and continue his development as that level, seemed the most logical next step for the winger.
There was no shortage of clubs willing to give him that opportunity either, with journalist Alan Nixon reporting in the summer that the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Hull City, Leicester City, Birmingham City and Ipswich Town had all made moves for Rak-Sakyi during the summer window.
Ultimately though, no deal would be completed, with the young attacker instead remaining with Roy Hodgson’s side for the first half of the campaign at least.
However, there is an argument that the latest news emerging from Selhurst Park, suggests those interested clubs should once again be on alert with regards to Rak-Sakyi, in the lead-up to the January transfer window.
Coud Rak-Sakyi be loaned out again by Crystal Palace in the January transfer window?
It seems as though the reason for Palace not sanctioning a loan move for Rak-Sakyi in the summer window, was to maintain enough depth in their first-team squad.
Summer signing Matheus Franca and key man Michael Olise are both yet to make an appearance in the Premier League for the Eagles this summer, after being hampered by injuries in the past few months.
That has left Palace shorter on options in the attacking midfield areas, meaning Rak-Sakyi has been needed to help ensure Hodgson has enough players to turn to in that area of the pitch.
Indeed, the 21-year-old has been named in the matchday squad in all eight of Palace’s league games this season, coming off the bench to feature on four occasions.
However, according to the latest reports from Nixon, both Franca and Olise are now close to a return to action after the October international break.
Given the money they invested in Franca over the summer, and the fact that Olise is already well established as a vital cog in this Palace side, the return of the duo, is likely to push Rak-Sakyi down the pecking order in the attacking midfield ranks at Palace.
As a result, it is likely that Rak-Sakyi will now find game time harder to come by with Palace going forward, meaning a loan spell for the second half of this season that ensures he continues to get those opportunities, could be the best course of action from the perspective of both the club and player.
That in turn, means those clubs previously linked ought to ensure they are ready to move quickly to capitalise on the potential availability of the winger.
Considering both his success with Charlton last season means he would likely be a major asset for one of those sides, and the fact that such interest means whoever signs him would be getting one over several rivals, this could be a major coup for one of these Championship clubs.
It seems therefore, that the latest news around France and Olise may not just be a boost for Palace – but given what it could mean for Rak-Sakyi – it could potentially give a lift to the likes of Blackburn and Hull as well.
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