Crystal Palace let a 1-0 lead slip at the hands of Luton Town on Saturday afternoon and gave the hosts only their second win of the season.
An issue that has plagued Palace for several years – putting the ball in the back of the net – reared its ugly head at Kenilworth Road once again.
Whilst Michael Olise capped his return to the side with a goal, the Eagles failed to build on their lead, despite registering eight shots on target compared to their opponent's three.
In the Premier League this term, only Burnley, Fulham, Sheffield United and Luton have scored less than Palace's total of 13, which is a glowing indication of where Roy Hodgson needs to target in the January transfer window.
Although Odsonne Edouard has plundered five in 12 matches, only one of those has come in his last seven appearances, so signing a striker should be on the high list of priorities, and links to Ajax striker Chuba Akpom suggest it is.
Crystal Palace transfer news – Chuba Akpom
According to TEAMtalk, Palace and Fulham are among several clubs who have enquired about the availability of the Englishman ahead of January.
Akpom, who scored 28 goals in the Championship for Middlesbrough last season to win the Player of the Year award, has started just one game since his arrival in the Dutch capital.
Whilst opportunities have been at a premium for the prolific striker, he has still claimed five goals across his four consecutive appearances in November.
The report states that Akpom is open to a Premier League move and Ajax are ready to sanction a loan deal for the player.
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If that is the case, Palace should be racing to the front of the queue to capture the 28-year-old, who would provide an upgrade on their current forward options, including Edouard.
The statistics that show Akpom is an upgrade on Edouard
Edouard has somewhat only discovered his goalscoring touch at Selhurst Park this term.
The Frenchman arrived from Celtic in the summer of 2021 and was expected to become their latest talismanic forward.
Despite joining the club on the back of an impressive 87 goals in 179 appearances for the Scottish giants, Edouard would find the challenge of stepping up to the Premier League difficult and his goal record speaks volumes of his struggles.
To put it into perspective, the 25-year-old is currently only one goal from matching his best tally of seven, achieved last season, and we're only four months into this campaign.
On the other hand, Akpom's scoring has gone in the other direction, from achieving a career-high of 11 goals in a single season to plundering 29 last term, the Englishman is threatening to deliver on the potential that his formative years promised.
This upturn in form is also reflected across several of his attacking metrics, eclipsing Edouard across the board, aside from his threat in the air.
Statistic
Chuba Akpom
Odsonne Edouard
Non-penalty goals
0.83
0.31
Non-penalty xG
0.54
0.28
Shots total
2.74
2.41
Pass completion
81.2%
68.2%
Progressive carries
2.63
1.58
Aerials won
1.69
1.84
All stats via FBref
Dubbed by former striker Clinton Morrison as a "real threat", Akpom has certainly delivered on that praise, wreaking havoc against opposition defences with the volume of shots he's taking, his ability to drive forward at speed and provide a clinical edge in the final third, unlike Edouard.
If Palace were able to acquire the £27k per-week marksman on loan in January, who is valued at €11.9m (£10m), as per Football Transfers, he would be a low-risk move with potentially high rewards as the Eagles look to add more firepower to their armoury.