Speaking on a recent episode of the HLTCO podcast, Dan Cook discussed the uncertainty surrounding the future of Crystal Palace defender, Tyrick Mitchell.
Making his Palace debut towards the back end of last season, this season, Mitchell has started all five of the club’s Premier League fixtures thus far, averaging 4.4 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and 2.2 clearances over these five matches, culminating in an average WhoScored match rating of 6.38.
Initially, the £4.5 million-rated 21-year-old’s inclusion in Roy Hodgson’s side was due to an injury to the club’s first-choice left-back, Patrick van Aanholt, however, with the Dutchman available for selection for the Eagles’ clash with Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend, Mitchell retained his place at left-back, with Van Aanholt remaining on the bench for the duration of the fixture.
However, the youngster’s contract is set to expire next summer, and, at present, the club are yet to offer the 21-year-old a new deal.
And, the uncertainty surrounding Mitchell’s future in south London was something Cook discussed on a recent episode of the HLTCO podcast.
He said: “There’s been a few questions raised over his long-term future at Palace because, as things stand, according to the usually extremely reliable Transfermarkt.com, his current deal in SE25 only runs until the summer of 2021.
“Obviously, with every week that passes, with every week that Roy Hodgson deems it right to put him into the starting lineup instead of Patrick van Aanholt, with Pat now back from injury and sitting on the bench, speculation will [grow] as to whether or not he will be attracting interest from elsewhere.
“He’s definitely winning himself all sorts of admirers. He’s slotted into a back four where he doesn’t look out of place, he doesn’t look like an academy player doing his best from week to week, he looks like someone who is there on merit.
“We are still waiting for news to officially come out as to whether or not he’s going to be offered a new long-term deal, although, you would assume that the wheels are already in motion behind the scenes at Palace to make sure that we tie him down to a four or five-year contract because the vultures will begin to circle.”
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TIF Thoughts on Dan Cook’s comments regarding Tyrick Mitchell’s future…
From Cook’s comments, it is clear that the podcaster is of the belief that clubs will indeed be interested in Mitchell, and that Palace should already be laying the groundwork to ensure that the left-back does go on to sign a long term deal with the south London side.
However, with every day that passes in which Mitchell has not put pen to paper on a new deal with the club, the possibility of him leaving on a free transfer next summer edges ever closer.
As such, in our opinion, Palace should make the young defender’s new contract a top priority, in order to remove the uncertainty surrounding his future which Cook discusses.