Crystal Palace are back in for Flynn Downes but may have to pay £12 million if they want to belatedly bring the Swansea City midfielder to the Premier League this summer, as reported by Wales Online.
The Eagles could have saved themselves a lot of bother – and a lot of money – if they’d just done what Ipswich Town were asking during the summer of 2020.
Crystal Palace made two bids for Downes at the time but refused to cross the £2 million barrier on either occasion. A costly decision. Quite literally, given how rapidly Downes’ price-tag has risen during the last two seasons.
“The money (offered by Palace) wasn’t good,” then-Ipswich boss Paul Lambert explained, some 12 months before the England U20 international ended up at Swansea City instead.
“The money was nowhere near good enough. The bid itself was absolutely nowhere near.”
Crystal Palace back in for Flynn Downes
Now, with cash-strapped Swansea under pressure to sell before they can buy, as pointed out by Wales Online, it’s tempting to wonder whether Crystal Palace could be tempted to employ the ‘lowball’ approach again as they renew their interest in a man who continues to go from strength to strength in the Football League.
Downes has three years remaining on his contract. But Swansea may be forced to accept a fee substantially below their ideal £12 million asking price. A decision that, while potentially necessary, would prove about as popular as a Cardiff City shirt in the Liberty Stadium South Stand.
Swansea have a history when it comes to letting their key players go for well below their market value after all.
“It’s really important that, if we do end up having to sell, then we get something to show for it,” former manager Steve Cooper said during the 2019/20 season. “We shouldn’t be selling on the cheap.”
A couple of months later, star centre-back Joe Rodon joined Tottenham Hotspur for £11 million, at a time in which some of the finest defenders in the second-tier were being traded for far greater sums.
It would hardly be a huge surprise, given Swansea’s financial predicament, if history was to repeat itself.
“Flynn’s been absolutely unbelievable since he signed,” says Swans skipper Matt Grimes.
“I think he’s been first class. His attitude he brings to training everyday… he’s a top, top player. If his dedication and work ethic is anything to go by, I think he can go right to the top.”
With Cheick Doucoure on his way from Lens, Downes could forge a new-look, youthful central midfield partnership at Selhurst Park. James McArthur, Cheikhou Kouyate and Luka Milivojevic are all the wrong side of 30.
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