Crystal Palace are reportedly looking to add a striker to their ranks before the summer transfer window closes, and one man who's apparently on their list is Bristol City striker Antoine Semenyo.
What's the word?
Patrick Vieira has seen his attacking options weakened this summer as Christian Benteke joined DC United, and it seems as if the Frenchman wants another centre-forward to compete with main striking options Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Journalist Dean Jones has suggested that the Eagles could look towards the Championship for their next attacking signing, as he revealed that the Ghana international is of interest.
He told GiveMeSport: “They’re looking at Semenyo as well from Bristol City and that’s one that they’re looking to pursue again, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they made an offer."
Vieira badly needs him
Last season saw Mateta and Edouard hit just 11 Premier League goals between them, while Benteke also popped up with four, which suggests that Vieira needs a more clinical target man in his squad. The former Arsenal captain is also without last season's second-highest scorer Conor Gallagher, who returned to Chelsea after a hugely successful loan spell at Selhurst Park.
While Palace boasting plenty of pace out wide with Wilfried Zaha and Eberechi Eze, they are not blessed with speed through the middle, and Semenyo could definitely add that.
Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson was full of praise for the 22-year-old last season, saying: “He is a real threat with his power and pace – he must be a nightmare to play against! His challenge now is to keep developing and adding elements to his game to make him even more effective.”
After loan spells with Newport County and Sunderland, Semenyo established himself as a key player for the Robins in the Championship last season.
He contributed eight goals and 12 assists in 31 appearances in the second tier, averaging an impressive 6.97 rating from WhoScored for his performances. That is a big improvement on the numbers offered by Mateta and Edouard, who both averaged below a 6.7 rating.
Edouard and Mateta also managed just four assists between them, which suggests that Semenyo is much more adept at linking up the play, which could benefit the likes of Zaha and Eze this season.
Therefore, it seems clear that Vieira needs a different style of striker, and the Bristol City marksman could be a game-changing potential addition at Selhurst Park this summer.