Crystal Palace have seemingly made a move to win the race for Chelsea forward Armando Broja, according to reports.
Crystal Palace form under Hodgson
The Eagles are in a woeful run of form under Roy Hodgson, winning just one of their last 12 games in all competitions. As a result, Hodgson’s future has been placed in doubt, with the likes of Steve Cooper and Julen Lopetegui named as possible replacements for the current Palace boss.
A change in the dugout could help turn the club’s fortunes around, however, Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman also have the January transfer window to add quality to the squad.
A new attacker at Selhurst Park has been linked this month, with an offer made for Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah, whereas FC Krasnodar’s Jhon Cordoba and Sunderland’s Jack Clarke have also been mooted as targets. Broja appears to be another target, with a new update now emerging.
A plethora of superstar strikers have been linked with Mikel Arteta’s side this month, including the recently returned Ivan Toney, but the north Londoners might be better served signing the latest frontman touted for a move to N5 in place of the Brentford ace.
Arteta looks to the Dragões for his new number nine
According to Football Transfers, Arsenal are on the lookout for a new striker in 2024 and, through new scout Paulo Xavier, have identified Porto’s in-form forward, Evanilson.
The report has revealed that Xavier was brought into the club specifically for his brilliant knowledge of South American football. So, it isn’t surprising that he has identified the free-scoring Brazilian, making him one of the club’s top transfer targets.
The report has claimed that any transfer will likely cost the north Londoners around €75m, which comes to about £64m.
While that is a serious sum of money – and would make the Porto man Arsenal’s third-most-expensive signing ever – the fact that he has scored 14 goals in 19 appearances this season suggests he may well be worth it.
How Evanilson compares to Ivan Toney
Now, with Arsenal’s acute need for a clinical finisher – they have scored 24 goals in open play from an expected goals figure of 32.12 – they would likely see an immediate upturn in the number of goals they score with either of these fantastically talented strikers, but if the club want to make the best long-term decision, then they should sign Evanilson, and there are a couple of reasons why.
Firstly, the Porto star only turned 24 in October, whereas Toney is a couple of months away from his 28th birthday, and while some may scoff at the idea that four years or so matters, it really does.
Squad building is an essential part of the modern game, and if Arsenal want their team to keep fighting on all fronts for the next decade or so, then it makes sense to prioritize singing a striker who matches up with the age profile of their other attacking talent. If not, they could end up with another Thomas Partey-esque issue and get stuck in a cycle of replacing a key player every summer.
Moreover, according to The Athletic, the statistical peak for a striker is 27 years old, and with a move for Toney looking increasingly like a summer transfer, he will only have a short time in N5 before his output perhaps starts to dwindle.
The second reason is that, simply put, the “serious talent”, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, looks more impressive when examining the pair’s underlying numbers and appears to be a much better fit for what Arteta is likely looking for in a new striker.
For example, while Toney produced a higher non-penalty expected goal and assists figure last season than the former Fluminense man has this season, he averaged fewer non-penalty goals and assists, suggesting that not only is he less clinical than the 24-year-old, but he is also involved in less of the build up – something that is unlikely to fly under Arteta.
Furthermore, the Porto ace takes more shots on target per 90 but requires fewer to score, and he produces more shot-creating and goal-creating actions than the Brentford star.
Armando Broja transfer update
According to HITC, Crystal Palace have made contact with Chelsea by expressing their interest in a deal for Broja. The Eagles aren’t alone, though, as Fulham, West Ham and Wolves have also done the same.
The report adds that Chelsea are ready to part ways with the forward before the end of the January transfer window and want at least £35m for his services. Another way the Blues are open to doing business is a loan with an obligation to buy.
The 22-year-old has only scored three goals in all competitions since the beginning of the 2022/23 season but has been limited to starts at Stamford Bridge.
Broja has been praised in the past by former Chelsea and Everton manager Frank Lampard, who saw the forward up close during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Therefore, securing the services of someone like Broja ahead of the likes of Fulham, Wst Ham and Wolves could be just what the Eagles need for the remainder of the season and in the long run, making this one to keep an eye on.
Arsenal returned to Premier League action on Saturday with a statement 5-0 win over Crystal Palace, shaking off some of the negative sentiment festering over the winter break.
However, despite the team putting five past Dean Henderson, Gabriel Jesus failed to find the back of the net, and as such, the talk of a new number nine has not quieted down.
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