Vieira has spoken to £19m gem about Palace move, been described as a mix of Pogba & Yaya Toure

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As you may have heard, Patrick Vieira has supposedly held talks with Ilaix Moriba about a move to Crystal Palace.

Anybody who watched the south Londoners lose 2-0 to Arsenal on Friday night would recognise their need for a new central midfielder to compliment Cheick Doucoure and Eberechi Eze.

There is a distinct lack of composure and ability to retain the ball in Vieira’s midfield, but now, that could be about to change with the arrival of a special footballer.

What’s the story?

Well, it was Foot Mercato who claimed that Vieira had contacted Moriba about a move to Selhurst Park.

The 19-year-old is a precocious talent, who looked set to be the next big thing in European football after emerging from La Masia in Barcelona and starring alongside Lionel Messi.

Interestingly, Spanish news outlet SPORT described him as a mix between Yaya Toure, Paul Pogba and Sergio Busquets, as a result of his vast array of talents in midfield.

Moriba was actually sold to RB Leipzig in a deal worth €22m (£19m) last summer, and spent the second half of the 2021/22 campaign on loan at Valencia after struggling to impose himself in Germany.

Nevertheless, the teenager remains a genuine wonderkid, one who boasts a fantastic amount of experience despite his age.

Moriba has won eight caps for Guinea, and also has Champions League experience under his belt.

Crystal Palace need Ilaix Moriba

After Christian Benteke and his £120,000-a-week wages were offloaded to D.C. United, a lot of space has been freed up on the salary bill to take on another signing.

If that signing isn’t an addition to the central midfield department, we’ll be baffled.

Vieira needs control if he is to play his possession-based style at Crystal Palace, and despite his talent in other areas, Jeffrey Schlupp is not the technician needed alongside Doucoure and Eze.

Moriba – or someone similar – is needed, and if the Eagles fail to sign such a player, it could have a big impact on their chances of success this season.