Football writer Seb Stafford-Bloor has been discussing Crystal Palace during a recent episode of the Tifo Football podcast.
Stafford-Bloor identified a number of centre-backs that he felt the club should be considering a move for this summer, one of which was Saint-Etienne’s Harold Moukoudi. The 22-year-old made 11 appearances in Ligue 1 for the French club last season before he was sent out on loan to Middlesbrough in the Championship.
Moukoudi made the switch to the Riverside on January 31st and appeared in the English second tier eight times for the Teessiders, who managed to avoid relegation by five points.
Despite his slightly underwhelming average performance rating in England of 6.52/10, Stafford-Bloor suggested he is somebody Roy Hodgson’s side should at least consider if they are planning on adding to their defensive options this summer.
He said: “Harold Moukoudi of Saint-Etienne, really interesting player, he spent a bit of time on loan at Middlesbrough, it didn’t go that well but I watched him again in the French Cup final against PSG, he was absolutely excellent in that game.
“He’s a bit leggy, I’m not sure how well he uses his body, but his passing range is lovely and you can definitely see him evolving into a cultured Premier League centre-back in the future.”
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According to Transfermarkt.co.uk, Moukoudi is valued at £2.88m, which could suggest that if Crystal Palace were to make a move for the player, he could be attainable at a reasonable price.
Judging by his comments, Stafford-Bloor was impressed by the defender’s display during the French Cup final, however, based on his spell in the Championship, we’re not entirely convinced that at this moment, he would be an upgrade on the club’s current options at centre-back. Having also described the defender as a ‘left-field’ choice, perhaps that element of risk is something in the journalist’s mind as well.