Crystal Palace can bring Junior Sambia to the Premier League for free after Montpellier confirmed the departure of the highly-rated right-back, as reported by the club’s official website.
Well, this is hardly a surprise, a bolt from the footballing blue.
Sambia’s Montpellier team-mate, Elye Wahi, suggested as far back as last month that the one-time Everton target was calling it a day at the Ligue 1 outfit.
But it is only now, as the curtain falls on another French top-flight season, that Sambia’s departure has been officially confirmed by a side who flirted with the European places before eventually slipping to a 13th place finish.
Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace can sign Junior Sambia for free
“Montpellier today announces the departure of five members of it’s workforce at the end of the 2021/22 season and wishes them the best for the future,” reads a statement on the club’s official website.
“With 217 games played since his arrival in the 2017 transfer window, Junior Sambia is the most capped of them. In five seasons, Junior has evolved as a midfielder, a playmaker, a right-midfielder and a right-sided defender.
“We will therefore remember his great versatility, as well as a few important goals, including a magnificent free-kick into the top corner last season against Bordeaux, which will go down in history.”
That aforementioned ‘versatility’ will certainly come in handy at Crystal Palace.
According to Le10 Sport, Patrick Vieira’s Eagles are looking to get their talons into the 25-year-old defender, a player who fits Palace’s new-look, free-flowing style better than the ageing Joel Ward and Nathaniel Clyne.
Crystal Palace are reportedly hoping to bring Aaron Wan-Bissaka back on loan from Manchester United too. Some have suggested that former Chelsea and Fulham man Ola Aina is another option.
“It’s never nice to hear that a player on your team is calling it a day,” Wahi said of Sambia a couple of weeks ago.
“We can’t prevent people from doing certain things. He knows that he won’t stay in Montpellier and I hope he finds a new club.”
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