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According to a report from The Daily Mail, Roy Hodgson's Crystal Palace are targeting AZ Alkmaar left-back Thomas Ouwejan this summer.

What's the word, then?

The Eagles' scouts have reportedly been watching the 22-year-old extensively and are also keen on his Eredivisie compatriot, midfielder Jerdy Schouten of Excelsior.

But it seems like it's the defender they are most interested in with the club ready to firm up their interest with a bid, per the original report.

Whilst Ouwejan is naturally a left-back, he can also slot into defensive midfield or central midfield if needed and has spent his entire career at the AFAS Stadion having progressed through his team's youth ranks and up to senior level. He was capped at every tier between under-17 and under-21 for the Dutch national team.

Another offensive left-back isn't what Palace need

Ouwejan looks like a promising player, but he doesn't offer the variety at left-back Hodgson needs in his squad, with the defensively-minded Papa Soare set to leave the club when his contract expires.

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Patrick van Aanholt always adds to Palace's threat going forward, but defensively he's certainly suspect. He averaged just 1.3 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per match last season - Aaron Wan Bissaka's totals on both fronts were more than double - which would go some way to explaining why 20% of the shots faced by the Eagles came from the left-hand side. To illustrate the significance of that, it was the joint-third highest percentage down the left flank in the Premier League.

His compatriot though, is of a very similar ilk. Perhaps he's a little more balanced, considering van Aanholt tends to find himself on the edge of the opposition box more frequently than most of the midfielders who are supposed to be playing ahead of him, but with two goals, six assists and less than one interception per game last season, it's clear where Ouwejan has been making the bigger impact recently.

Of course, offensive-minded full-backs are becoming crucial in the modern game. But with van Aanholt so exceptionally forward-thinking and Ouwejan making his most significant contributions in the final third last season, it feels as though whichever left-back Hodgson starts he'll be left with the same level of exposure on that flank. Surely it would be more beneficial to sign a full-back who can help him alter the balance of the team as circumstances dictate.