Premier League duo Crystal Palace and Huddersfield Town are reportedly keen on FC Groningen midfielder Ajdin Hrustic.
Crystal Palace and Huddersfield Town fans can enjoy their Monday morning for a change.
Because both sides picked up impressive away results at the weekend, Palace grabbing a goalless draw at Manchester United while Huddersfield were typically Terrier-like in their deserved 2-0 win at Wolves.
But both Roy Hodgson and David Wagner will be under no illusions that a relegation battle still beckons in 2019 – and The Mirror (live blog, November 24) reports that both clubs are hoping to enhance their squad by landing Groningen’s Ajdin Hrustic in January.
The 22-year-old Romanian is an all-action midfielder renowned for his tackling and set-pieces. But surely Palace and Huddersfield need a prolific centre-forward more than another player for the centre of the park.
So, if they are looking to raid Groningen in January, should Mimoun Mahi be the man in demand instead? After an injury-hit start to the season, the Moroccan international has found form again in recent weeks, showcasing his skill, class and clinical finishing with two goals and three assists in his last three Eredivisie games.
The quicksilver striker, who can also play out wide, has netted 24 league goals since the start of the 2016/17 season – and should perhaps be the Groningen player that a goal-shy Palace and Huddersfield are looking at.
He’d offer a different threat entirely to the target-men at Selhurst Park and the John Smith’s Stadium, giving Palace and Huddersfield speed in behind, movement into the channels and the cool one-on-one finishing that Alexander Sorloth, Christian Benteke, Steve Mounie and Laurent Depoitre seem incapable of providing.
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