Journalist Ryan Taylor has claimed that Boubakary Soumare would be ‘a bargain’ for Crystal Palace at £15m this summer.
The midfielder has struggled since making the move to the Premier League, making just 19 appearances last season. And now, according to the Daily Mail, Palace are eyeing a move for the struggling Frenchman.
With just a matter of days left before the transfer window closes, it could be a case of now or never for a move to take place, and for Soumare to get a fresh start that looks so desperately needed in the Premier League. A side in the form that Palace are in, too, could represent the perfect place for the Leicester City midfielder to get back on track.
Speaking about the potential deal, Taylor told GiveMeSport: “There is much in that one; Leicester are trying to get rid of Soumare. Him and [Jannik] Vestergaard are two players that have been told they can move on.
“There was a deal agreed for Vestergaard with an unnamed club, but he decided he wanted to stay and fight for his place because he’s only been there a year. Soumare is available for £15m.
“I think that’s a bargain for anyone; he’s only 23. We know how high his stock was when he was at Lille, when all these clubs were seemingly looking at him, but it’s clear he’s probably not fancied by [Brendan] Rodgers.”
TIF Thoughts on Taylor’s comments…
We’d have to agree with Taylor when he says that £15m for Soumare would be a bargain deal for Crystal Palace. When you consider the fact that Leicester welcomed the midfielder for a fee said to be around the £17m mark, the current price sounds about right just one year on, despite falling heavly out of favour, with the 23-year-old gaining just 78 minutes of league action since mid-February, prior to this weekend’s defeat to Chelsea.
Whether Palace advance with the deal remains to be seen, however. The question will be posed as to whether they even need Soumare after starting the season in fine form. So far, in four Premier League games, they’ve drawn against Liverpool, beaten Aston Villa and lost to Arsenal and Manchester City – in which they put in a strong performance.