Crystal Palace ‘Interested’ in 24-Year-Old Defender Alongside Chilwell
Crystal Palace are desperate to sign a centre-back before the transfer window closes, Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has told GIVEMESPORT.
The Eagles are one man lighter at the back than they were at the start of the month, despite not selling any first-team players.
Parent club Chelsea recalled Trevoh Chalobah due to a defensive injury crisis, although that could allow left-back Ben Chilwell to make a loan move from Stamford Bridge to Selhurst Park instead.
Crystal Palace Want to Bring in a Centre-Back
Tiago Djalo deal looks complicated
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Sky Sports reporter Bridge explained the South London club are desperate to sign a centre-back as a replacement for Chalobah, but warned that a deal for Eagles target Djalo looks complicated.
Djalo, a 24-year-old Portugal international, is currently on loan at Porto from Juventus. That deal would have to be scrapped for the 6 foot 3 centre-back to complete a move to Selhurst Park.
Bridge told GMS regarding Palace’s centre-back hunt and the potential Djalo deal:
“They’ve got a few options. Oliver Glasner’s made it pretty clear that they’re desperate for [a centre-back] because they’re unlucky that Chalobah went back to Chelsea. There’s interest in Tiago Djalo as a loan option, but it’s proving a bit difficult because he’s currently at Porto, but then he’d have to go back to Juventus. Juventus hold his contract. So it just sounds like a really difficult one, but it smacks of January.”
Eagles also keen on Pavlovic and Chilwell
Defensive reinforcements could arrive
Djalo isn’t the only defender Palace have been linked with. Glasner is reported to be personally keen on signing AC Milan’s Strahinja Pavlovic. The 23-year-old has already plied his trade in Serbia, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria and now Italy, and has also made 43 senior international appearances for Serbia. However, Milan value Pavlovic at £35m, having only signed him from Red Bull Salzburg last summer.
Meanwhile, Palace have also been linked with Chelsea’s Chilwell. Once an England international and among the best attacking left-backs in Europe, injury problems and a lack of suitability to Enzo Maresca’s tactics has seen the former Leicester man register just 45 minutes of game-time this season. Palace appear to view him as an option both in his traditional position and left centre-half.
However, Palace would need to Chelsea to agree to pay a portion of Chilwell’s wages.
