Crystal Palace are closing in on a deal that will see former Chelsea and Fulham man Ola Aina return to the Premier League from Torino for around £10 million, as reported by Torino Granata.
Patrick Vieira might have bulldozed the house that Roy Hodgson built, constructing a new kingdom amongst the rubble of the old one, but the Selhurst Park rebuild is not finished yet.
The likes of Joel Ward, James McArthur, Cheikhou Kouyate and Nathaniel Clyne remain load-bearing pillars in this Eagles side and, if Vieira is to prevent cracks from appearing in the foundations, then the upcoming transfer window presents an opportunity that cannot be missed.
Doucoure and Aina in
Crystal Palace entered talks to sign Lens’ midfield colossus Cheick Doucoure a couple of weeks ago. According to The Sun, a £15 million deal is now close for the masterful Mali international.
Doucoure, an ‘incredibly complete’ central midfielder who can pass, tackle and dribble in equal measure, could help ease Vieira’s reliance on the 30-something duo McArthur and Kouyate.
A lick of fresh paint is also required elsewhere, particularly on the right-hand side of Palace’s defence. Veteran duo Ward and Clyne have had their moments this term but neither player is particularly au fait with Vieira’s swashbuckling, progressive style of football.
Aina, despite disappointing on loan at Fulham in 2020/21, may be a more natural fit. It is no secret that the former Chelsea youngster is free to leave Torino, having started just two Serie A games since returning from the African Cup of Nations.
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West Ham United have been linked. Leeds came close in January, before a deal fell through after Aina’s replacement suffered a season-ending ACL injury.
According to reports from Italy, however, Crystal Palace are now in ‘pole position’. The FA Cup semi-finalists will pay around £10 million for the 25-year-old Nigeria international, who is entering the final 12 months of his Torino contract.
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