Crystal Palace were heavily linked with a move for Jenkinson, who ended up staying at Arsenal instead.
Sam Allardyce should have nailed the signing of Carl Jenkinson for Crystal Palace, according to Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas.
Palace endured a hectic final two days of the winter transfer window, bringing in Sunderland left-back Patrick van Aanholt, Olympiacos midfielder Luka Milivojevic and Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho, but a deal for Jenkinson never materialised, amid reports of the Arsenal full-back’s £70,000-a-week wage demands.
Arsenal’s Carl Jenkinson in action (left)
As far as Nicholas is concerned, however, the England international would have been worth the outlay.
Assessing Palace’s winter business, which also included the capture of Leicester City utility player Jeffrey Schlupp, the former Arsenal midfielder writes: “I get Schlupp, I don’t quite get Schlupp and Van Aanholt; I think it’s a lot of money for players I see in similar positions.
“Sam Allardyce is saying Van Aanholt will be a left-back but I don’t trust his defensive qualities. I think he should have nailed a deal for Carl Jenkinson.
“But I had a feeling Sam would have something else up his sleeve… Milivojevic was leftfield but he’s managed to get Sakho over the line.”
Only one of Palace’s new faces, Van Aanholt, was involved as the Eagles secured their first Premier League victory under Allardyce against Bournemouth on Tuesday night.
Crystal Palace’s Patrick van Aanholt in action
Despite the positive result, which arrived at the sixth time of asking, it was not enough to lift Palace out of the bottom three, with Swansea City also winning.
However, were the Eagles to beat second-bottom Sunderland on Saturday and any of Swansea, Leicester or Middlesbrough to lose, the Croydon club would move clear of the drop zone – at least for the time being.
Should Crystal Palace have signed Jenkinson?
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