According to London World, Crystal Palace believe Eberechi Eze can replace Conor Gallagher after the 22-year-old returned to Chelsea.
What’s the story?
Well, Gallagher shone at Selhurst Park last season, scoring eight goals in 39 appearances while also providing five assists – his efforts also saw him earn international recognition with England.
However, Thomas Tuchel is now planning to take a look at him over the course of pre-season, and Patrick Vieira can’t afford to wait around and see if the Blues allow another loan deal.
As a result, the technical team at Selhurst Park are searching for alternatives, and according to London World, they believe Eze is capable of replacing the eight goals scored by Gallagher last season.
The report does concede that Vieira will need to work closely with the 24-year-old, in order to ensure he understands the difficulty of the task ahead.
Aside from his attacking play, Gallagher ran himself into the ground last season, so Eze will have to work hard on his fitness to make sure he can match those energy levels, while also bringing goals to the side.
That would be a tough task for anyone, let alone a player who suffered a serious Achilles injury in 2021, which caused him to miss the majority of the 2021/22 campaign.
Crystal Palace need to help Ebere Eze
Aside from Vieira’s work with Eze at the Copers Cope training ground, the Eagles must also ensure he is protected out on the pitch with two solid midfielders alongside him.
It seems Cheick Doucoure is on his way from RC Lens, a player who seemingly excels at winning the ball back and progressing it forward.
In our view, Vieira should use a three-man midfield involving another physical presence alongside Doucoure, with Eze stationed just ahead of a dominant midfield pairing.
That way, the Crystal Palace No.10 can focus on making an impact in the final third, with two midfield partners helping him out in regards to defensive duties.
Whatever happens, Vieira is certainly building an exciting side in SE25.
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