Crystal Palace winger has been linked with a return to Newcastle United.
He’d be a very good signing for Rafa Benitez’s side and an ideal replacement for Matt Ritchie should the Scotland international move to Stoke City as is reported.
But while Newcastle shouldn’t think twice about striking a deal for Townsend, Palace absolutely should.
The 26-year-old was far from prolific last season but the impact made by him and teammate Wilf Zaha over the second half of the season was incredible.
Misfiring striker Christian Benteke eventually found himself dropped from the side but a change in Roy Hodgson’s tactics saw Zaha and Townsend become an incredibly useful duo that propelled the team forward after their miserable start.
It’s understandable if the long-term goal is a more traditional dependence on a striker rather than two wingers, but to remove such a successful option from their repertoire would be a mistake.
Townsend had a decent season, all things considered – certainly, enough to be of more use than the £18million fee that the Telegraph reports his value at.
Would it be the most nonsensical sale in the world? Of course not, but Townsend is an experienced player who Palace know can be a cog in a very functional and successful machine for them.
Surely that’s worth holding onto?
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