Following the sacking of Alan Pardew last month it was time for Sam Allardyce to come out of the managerial wilderness after the England debacle and take over at Crystal Palace. ‘Big Sam’ is once again trusted with a club with the sole task of making sure they stay up. That’s his bread and butter.
However, it’s a task that is not going to be all that simple and Allardyce is still searching for his first win since taking charge of the Eagles. Results are going to have to improve soon or there is the distinct possibility of the south London side being dragged into the bottom three.
With the former England boss inheriting a squad that, although talented, has seriously under-performed in the first-half season, he will now look to make the necessary additions to make sure his new employers stay out of the drop zone.
So let’s now look at THREE players who could be moving to Selhurst Park month…
Robbie Brady
Another player that has been linked with Palace of late is Robbie Brady with Allardyce reportedly ready to make a bid for the Republic Of Ireland international. Brady, who will be 25 later this month, will be remembered for his two goals for the Republic in last summer’s European Championship.
Brady has already suffered Premier League relegations with both Hull and his current employers Norwich, so perhaps Palace fans could be excused for thinking he is carrying some kind of jinx. That said, should they capture his signing from the Canaries then they will be getting a very neat and versatile player with top-flight experience.
Not only can Brady play as a winger but can also be used at full-back, a position that Palace have really struggled to fill of late. It cost £7m for Norwich to acquire Brady from Hull and you would imagine should he return to the Premier League then the figure needed to acquire the former Manchester United youngster would be similar.
Kieran Gibbs
One of Sam Allardyce’s first acts could be capturing Kieran Gibbs from Arsenal. The Gunners are having well-documented contract talks with Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, but they are not the only two players whose deals are set to expire in 18 months’ time.
Another player you can add to a worryingly long list for Arsenal is that of Gibbs, and Crystal Palace are monitoring the situation with keen interest as they hope the England international will be ready to leave the Emirates Stadium and make the short move to Selhurst Park.
The 28-year-old has spent his whole career at Arsenal but over the last few seasons has failed to hold down a first-team berth of his own. He only made 15 Premier League appearances last term and has only featured five times in the first-half of this.
And it’s this lack of top flight game time which may well mean that Gibbs decides to end his decade-long stint in north London. As always with a player whose contract is running out, the decision for his employers is whether to sell early or risk that player leaving the club for free. If Arsene Wenger does decide to move Gibbs on and is willing to listen to offers then Crystal Palace will surely be at the front of the queue for his signature.
Modou Barrow
With Wilfried Zaha’s newly acquired Ivorian nationality meaning he has been selected for this month’s Africa Cup of Nations, the Eagles will be without one of their most talented stars until, potentially, early February.
To alleviate that problem, Palace have identified a potential target to replace him in the short-term but also add competition for the wide berths going forward, with that target being Modou Barrow of Swansea.
The Gambian was an unused sub when these two sides met recently at Selhurst Park, a game that saw Swansea snatch a dramatic late winner. With first-team football not necessarily a given for Barrow he may well fancy swapping a relegation scrap in South Wales for one in south London.