Dan Cook has been speaking on the HLTCO podcast about how Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa could replace Cheikhou Kouyate at Crystal Palace.
The Cameroon midfielder was with Fulham last season when they were in the Premier League, but left shortly after their relegation to join Napoli on loan, but not before signing a contract extension with the west London outfit.
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Anguissa was signed back in the summer of 2018 after Fulham won promotion to the Premier League under Slavisa Jokanovic for £22 million, but he’s only ever played in the top flight for them, having gone out on loan during both of their Championship campaigns.
But he could be set for a return to Premier League life, as the Eagles are interested in the midfielder, according to The Sun.
When looking at a move to Palace, it could actually be a feasible one given how Patrick Vieira has the Eagles playing with young and attack-minded players, which arguably fits Anguissa’s style of play more than it does Kouyate, with the former being six years younger.
Zambo Anguissa boasts both a better pass completion percentage (92%) and shot-creating actions per 90 total (2.66) in the league than the Palace man, who has completed just 85.8% of his passes with a 0.43 SCA per 90 value.
Cook has been speaking about the links suggesting Palace could move for Anguissa.
“Having done that podcast yesterday about the players that are out of contracts in SE25 at the end of this season, Cheikhou Kouyate fits into that particular batch of players.
“When you’re looking at someone like Zambo Anguissa, someone that does play in the centre of midfield as that sort of holding man, it’s obvious that he could be Cheikhou Kouyate’s replacement – albeit one that would not be cheap to buy.
“Prior to him making that loan move to Napoli this summer just gone, he actually signed a contract extension with Fulham that keeps him on their books until the summer of 2024.”
TIF Thoughts on Anguissa…
As Cook mentioned, it could be a difficult move to complete if Zambo Anguissa shines out in Naples given he will still be tied to Fulham – while the Serie A club do indeed have an option to buy the midfielder next summer. However, the opportunity to thrive in the Premier League could be too good to turn down.
The centre of midfield may not look like an area of weakness for Palace, but when Conor Gallagher, who is present in both tackling and goal-creating stats, returns to Stamford Bridge next summer, it will leave a gaping hole in Vieira’s midfield, so targeting a player with both Premier League and Champions League experience could be a smart move.
In other news: ‘I still believe there is a genuine chance’ – Dan Cook drops encouraging CPFC transfer claim