Danny Welbeck might help Crystal Palace survive relegation this season
According to the Sun, Crystal Palace are considering a £10million move for Arsenal forward Danny Welbeck in January.
The 27-year-old English international has less than a year remaining on his current contract which is set to expire next summer and the Gunners are unlikely to offer him a new deal (h/t Sun).
Unai Emery has stated that he wants Welbeck to stay till the end of the season as a back-up for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. However, the club officials would be open to a bid in January since they could lose him for nothing next summer. (h/t Sun)
Palace boss Roy Hodgson is a personal admirer of Welbeck and believes that the Englishman can help the team achieve a better goalscoring record. (h/t Sun)
Crystal Palace have struggled to find the net this season and the Eagles sit 16th in the standings with 8 points from 12 games. Although they have a decent defensive record, the Eagles have had a torrid time in front of goal this term, scoring just 8 goals so far. In fact, they scored their first goal at Selhurst Park only a couple of weeks back in the 2-2 draw against Arsenal.
Christian Benteke, along with Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend was expected to be the mainstays of Palace’s attack this season. However, things haven’t quite gone according to the script for the Eagles.
Christian Benteke looked horribly out of touch in the first few games before being sidelined with a knee injury. Andros Townsend scored his first goal of the campaign against Chelsea this week but the Englishman has performed well below expectations this season, losing possession too easily and squandering loads of good chances.
Youngster Alexander Sorloth and Swansea City loanee Jordan Ayew have also been largely disappointing in front of goal, leaving Wilfried Zaha to cut an isolated figure in the final third. Zaha has by far been the brightest of their attackers but has lacked that much-needed support to make things happen.
As things stand, Palace need to bolster their attacking options in January to fight the relegation battle and secure a respectable finish. And Danny Welbeck is definitely is a good choice for that purpose.
The 27-year-old is a tactically versatile attacker who is capable of operating in any position in the final third. He has been used as a centre-forward, supporting striker and a winger by Unai Emery this term. Although he hasn’t been one of the first names on the teamsheet under Emery and has made only a single start in the Premier League, Welbeck has been a regular for the Europa League and Carabao Cup games, registering 5 goals and an assist across all competitions.
Welbeck has lightning pace and likes to take on defenders with his dribbling and acceleration. An aggressive footballer by nature, he would add a lot of vigour to Palace’s attack which has looked rather subdued so far.
He not only has the ability to link up the play with his teammates but also has that awareness and vision to create chances in the final third, something that makes him a good assist provider. Furthermore, the 27-year-old is good in the air, which makes him a genuine threat from set-pieces and corners.
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Having said that, he would be a handsome addition to Palace’s squad and they should not hesitate to splash the cash to sign him in the mid-season trading period.
