Why Jordon Ibe could be a smart signing for Crystal Palace
According to the Sunday Mirror (h/t Chronicle Live), Crystal Palace have expressed an interest in signing Jordon Ibe, who is currently a free agent following his release from Bournemouth earlier in the summer.
As per the report, Newcastle United have also been linked with a move for the 24-year-old, who is on the lookout for a club to continue his career in the Premier League after the Cherries’ relegation from the top-flight.
Profile
Born in London, Jordon Ibe started his youth career at Charlton Athletic and furthered his footballing education at Wycombe Wanderers. Ibe was snapped up as an exciting prospect by Liverpool in 2012. But the winger struggled to nail down a regular starting role at Anfield, spending time on loan at Derby County and Birmingham City in the Championship.
The former England U-21 star played a bit-part role for the Reds, accumulating 4 goals and 7 assists in 58 appearances across all competitions. However, that was enough to convince Bournemouth to fork out a then club-record fee of £15m for the winger back in the summer of 2016.
But, he flattered to deceive over the course of his 4-year stay on the south coast. The former Liverpool man never really established himself as a regular for the Cherries, finding himself in and out of the team due to his inconsistent form.
Ibe managed a meagre return of 5 goals and 9 assists in 92 appearances for Bournemouth and featured just twice in the PL for Eddie Howe’s side last term as the Cherries failed to beat the drop.
Why Ibe could be a decent signing for Palace
Crystal Palace’s tally of 31 goals scored in the 2019-20 PL was the second-worst in the entire division after relegated Norwich City. The Eagles were in contention for a top-ten berth at one point but eventually managed to secure a lower mid-table 14th-place finish, largely due to their inability to score enough goals.
To that end, it goes without saying that Roy Hodgson desperately needs to make some fresh additions to his attack, especially in the wide areas. The arrival of Eberechi Eze from QPR will certainly bolster Palace’s creative cavalry. But they need more than one new signing, given the sorry state of their attack.
Wilfried Zaha had a rather underwhelming campaign last time around that saw him contribute with just 4 goals and 3 assists in the Premier League. Andros Townsend suffered a significant dip in form, scoring just once in 25 league appearances for the Eagles last term.
Regardless of what the future holds for Zaha, who continues to be linked with a move away from Selhurst Park, Palace need to invest in a new wide player to improve the quality of their supply lines.
And the potential acquisition of Jordon Ibe on a free transfer would be a smart piece of business for Roy Hodgson’s side, especially following the big-money capture of Eze. The 24-year-old already has considerable Premier League experience under his belt. So, he would provide some valuable cover out wide while also increasing competition for places.
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Verdict
Despite his obvious talent and potential, Ibe’s career in the PL has failed to take off so far due to a large number of reasons, ranging from inconsistencies to lack of regular opportunities.
The 24-year-old’s mediocre end product at his previous clubs makes him somewhat of a gamble for Palace. However, it’s a gamble that can pay off handsomely for the Eagles as we are only talking about a free transfer over here.
At 24, Jordon Ibe still has plenty of time to make a name for himself in the PL by making significant improvements to his game. With that in mind, Crystal Palace would be smart enough to offer him a new lease of life.
