Crystal Palace could be willing to pay in excess of £22 million for Bertrand Traore, with BuzzSport claiming that the Lyon forward could be set for a Premier League return this summer.
To say the 2019/20 campaign has been a disappointing one for Lyon would be an understatement.
The Ligue 1 giants will miss out on European football for the first time in 23 years after finishing seven in the table, much to the chagrin of their soundbite-spouting president Jean-Michel Aulas.
While a long-term injury to talismanic top-scorer Memphis Depay was perhaps the main reason behind their failure to reach the Champions League places, it is fair to say Traore did not exactly step up in the Holland international’s absence.
A man who scored 29 goals in his first two seasons in Lyon colours found the net just four times this season, despite playing 34 matches in all competitions.
On paper, you’d think a rather shot-shy Crystal Palace side wouldn’t need any more misfiring forwards but, according to reports in France, a bid for Traore could soon be coming from Selhurst Park.
What’s more, Palace are allegedly willing to make the one-time Chelsea youngster one of the biggest signings in their history with an offer in excess of £22 million.
With Wilfried Zaha set to be consigned to another summer of speculation, Traore certainly has the raw speed and skill to step into the shoes of a modern-day Crystal Palace legend. Although he would be under pressure to rediscover the form of his early-Lyon career in the English capital.
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