Crystal Palace Opinion: Eagles should sign Ezri Konsa in the summer
According to the Sun, Crystal Palace are interested in signing Brentford defender Ezri Konsa in the summer, with Eagles scout Dougie Freedman reportedly monitoring the 21-year-old centre-back.
This is not the first time, though, that Konsa has attracted interest from the Premier League, with Arsenal shortlisting the English U21 international as a potential target in January. His slump in form gave the north London giants second thoughts but the promising youngster might achieve his goal of playing in the Premier League with Palace next season. (h/t Sun)
The report also claims that Brentford are likely to demand a fee of around £15million to part ways with their prized asset.
Konsa has been an ever-present at the back for the Bees in the Championship this season, making a total of 39 appearances in the league and catching the eyes of the Premier League clubs with his consistently impressive displays. A regular for England at the U21 level, the 21-year-old has a total of 6 caps to his name.
The youngster starred for his boyhood club Charlton Athletic before making a move to Brentford last summer and his links to the Premier League clubs are a clear testament to his rapid development.
Held in high regard as a player with massive potential, Konsa has been tipped to achieve great things in English football and Palace’s interest in the defensive prodigy certainly makes a lot of sense.
James Tomkins and Mamadou Sakho have been Roy Hodgson’s first-choice pairing at the heart of the defence, with former Liverpool star Martin Kelly and veteran Scott Dann playing a bit-part role in the first-team.
The Eagles have had their issues with creativity in the midfield and lack of firepower up front but they have looked pretty much secure at the back throughout the season, having shipped 46 goals in 34 games.
Those numbers reveal that the defenders have done a decent enough job, and while defensive reinforcements are unlikely to be a priority at Selhurst Park in the summer, the Eagles should definitely consider a move for Ezri Konsa.
Tomkins,30, has arguably been the pick of the centre-backs but Sakho, though really solid and commanding at times, has let the team down with some shambolic schoolboy defending in a few games.
Kelly signed a new deal just a month back but Scott Dann, 32, is nearing the twilight of his career. Hence, the addition of a young and promising centre-back in the form of
Standing at 6ft. with a well-built frame, Konsa is not particularly tall for a centre-back but the Newham-born prodigy has earned plaudits for his ball-playing abilities and well-rounded game reading attributes.
The 21-year-old has averaged 51.5 passes per game with an accuracy percentage of 87.9, including 2.6 long balls, 3.3 clearances, 1.2 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game in the Championship this term. Those are impressive numbers and they are only going to get better with time.
It would be unrealistic to see Konsa as an upgrade on the likes of Tomkins, Sakho or Kelly but he has the potential and the raw talent to make a massive impact in the Premier League in the days to come.
He is still very much in the developmental phase of his career and working with a manager like Roy Hodgson would definitely work in favour of his development.
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Palace need to bring in a few fresh faces to challenge for better things in the Premier League and investing in a homegrown talent would not be the worst option. That said, the Eagles should not hesitate to strike a deal for the Brentford star in the summer.
