Crystal Palace are reportedly interested in signing Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards this summer.

What's the word?

That is according to journalist Tom Barclay, who, in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, confirmed that Palace are indeed eager to capture the talented teenage defender.

However, Barclay goes on to state that it will not be easy for the defender to make the step up to the Premier League at this stage in his career.

Barclay told GIVEMESPORT: “Palace are interested in him from what I’m told, but he’s someone who’s very young, only played Championship football last season but in a struggling team.

“So to expect him to come into a Premier League side, if they were playing regularly that way in a back three, could be tough, although I was told that maybe a three would suit him more, so maybe that would make sense as well.”

As mentioned in a report by The Sun, Palace boss Patrick Vieira is planning to switch to a back five when the new Premier League season gets underway in August, with new additions amongst the backline most certainly targeted.

One for the future

The signing of Edwards would be one that future-proofs the side, whilst bolstering depth options - particularly when bearing in mind Vieira's potential switch in system ahead of the new season.

At 19 years old, he registered metrics that place him well within the top five in comparison to his teammates as per WhoScored; averaging 1.4 interceptions, 3.7 clearances and 0.6 blocks in the Championship last season, with his efforts earning him 7-caps for the England U19s squad thus far.

As such, it is not difficult to understand why the Peterborough chairman, Barry Fry, took the time to heap a considerable amount of praise on the youngster, stating of Edwards last season: "Ronnie is a Rolls Royce. We knew that when we signed him.

"I used to watch a lot of U18s football at Barnet as well as Posh and I told the gaffer about him. And when we brought him in for a game Darren watched him for 20 minutes and told me to sign him. Spurs were watching him at the time and Brentford were very keen on him. In fact Brentford were so upset when we did the deal they complained to the FA!

"It’s no secret how highly Ronnie is rated by other clubs and by the England set-up. We had 18 Premier League scouts watching him play for the under 23s at our stadium. Ronnie is money in the bank for the club. He’s a certainty to have an outstanding career in the game, but there’s no better place, and no better manager than Darren Ferguson, to help him develop quickly.

"We want to thrive and prosper in the Championship so selling our better players is not an option. A couple of good seasons in the Championship would make him worth £10m to £20m. There will become a time when we can’t stand in his way as he’d make life-changing money like Ivan Toney as a Premier League player."

And, as per George Cannon on Twitter, the £4m "wonderkid" is still being watched by the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Southampton so Vieira and co will need to act fast if they are to secure his signature - with the defender's arrival at Selhurst Park sure to be one that would leave supporters buzzing.

AND in other news: “Set to sign..“: Fabrizio Romano drops big CPFC transfer update, Vieira surely buzzing