Crystal Palace Opinion: Why Christopher Jullien will be a good fit for Palace?

Back in June 2018, a report from the Sun claimed Crystal Palace were one of the few Premier League clubs that showed an interest in signing Toulouse defender Christopher Jullien.

The Frenchman, 26, impressed last season with his defensive displays and helped Toulouse retain their Ligue 1 status. Toulouse lost their skipper and defensive rock Issa Diop to West Ham last summer but Christopher Jullien stayed put at the club.

And he has managed to impress this season as well which should prompt Crystal Palace to rekindle their interest in the towering defender and sign him in the summer transfer window.

Crystal Palace have been hugely inconsistent this season, with Roy Hodgson’s side failing to score goals consistently. Irrespective of where they finish this season, the Eagles will have to make sure they address their problems.

Apart from bringing in a bonafide goal-scorer, Hodgson needs to tighten his backline with the addition of a quality centre-half.

James Tomkins and Mamadou Sakho may have forged a strong partnership at the back but that hasn’t stopped the team from conceding 41 goals. Scott Dann returned this year from cruciate ligament injury that had kept him out for nearly 15 months. But Dann turned 32 last month and is past his prime, although he can be a very good squad player for the Eagles.

But Palace need a centre-half to add quality the squad, whilst bringing competition to Sakho and Tomkins. And the solution to Hodgson’s problems could be Christopher Jullien, who has all the attributes to flourish in the Premier League.

Standing at 6ft 5in tall, Jullien is a strong, physical and aerially dominant defender who has impressed in Ligue 1 with his all-action defending.

The Frenchman is an aerial threat in both penalty areas and is an asset for the team when it comes to attacking the set-pieces. He can also play the ball out from the back with ease and can pick a 30-yard pass as well.

The 26-year-old is fantastic at breaking up the play and his willingness to put his body on the line fearlessly would be loved by the Palace fans.

Jullien has decent pace despite possessing such a towering frame and his unorthodox and relentless style of defending combined with shrewd reading of the game and tackling skills would make him such an inspired addition for the Eagles backline.

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Not to forget, the former Auxerre and Dijon man is also a leader and commands the box well. Palace lack real leadership at the back, meaning Jullien could be a standout option for Hodgson.

Verdict

Given the leaky and unreliable backline, Crystal Palace need a commanding and smart centre-half, which is exactly what Christopher Jullien is. At 26, he is entering the prime years of his career and under the guidance of Hodgson, the lanky Frenchman can take his game to the next level.