Crystal Palace defender Patrick van Aanholt appears to be approaching the end of his time at Selhurst Park.

The Dutch defender is out of contract at the end of the season, with Galatasary having reportedly made an offer to acquire his services on a free transfer, according to Turkish publication Fanatik.

However, the hierarchy at the Eagles must ensure that doesn’t happen and instead convince van Aanholt to commit to a new contract.

The £7.2m-rated left-back, signed from Sunderland in the 2016/17 January transfer window, has become a club stalwart in the time since.

He has made 129 appearances for the Eagles. The Dutchman has certainly had his impact in forward positions, too, scoring 14 goals and providing six assists – a very positive record for a defender.

It’s not just his influence on the pitch as to why Palace should be desperate to keep the 30-year-old defender at Selhurst Park, though.

Should van Aanholt depart, that would only leave Roy Hodgson with Tyrick Mitchell as the only natural left-back in the squad.

Whilst the 21-year-old is showing immense promise and could go on to be a reliable first-team player, it might be too early to rely on him for consistent performances in the Premier League.

By allowing him to learn from Van Aanholt, who is supremely experienced in the top-flight of English football, he is only going to improve.

Even if the Dutchman does leave and Hodgson elects to promote Mitchell, this would leave the Eagles extremely light should he ever suffer injury, possibly leading the club into the transfer market for a new left-back.

In order to bring in someone of Van Aanholt’s quality, a considerable fee may have to be forked out.

It makes sense then for Steve Parish and Palace to save their money and instead continue to rely on Van Aanholt at Selhurst Park, considering that he is already a reliable member of the squad.

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