West Ham United and Crystal Palace are in a race to bring in a January signing spree
Latest update: West Ham and Crystal Palace race to sign special player in January
Rumour has it that West Ham and Crystal Palace are ready to re-engage their interest in French forward Hugo Ekitike, who is expected to leave PSG in January. According to Football Insider, Ekitike is one of the top-rated players available in the market in the middle of the season. A source told us that PSG are “frustrated” that Ekitike did not want to join Frankfurt as part of their deal to bring in Kolo Muani, and instead wanted to move to England. The source added that talks between Ekitike and the English clubs were ongoing until the end of the summer window. Crystal Palace also had a strong interest in Ekitike.
Although Ekitike has featured in just eight games this season, it is clear that he is surplus to requirements at the moment. Ekitike spent last season on loan at Paris Saint-Germain, where he scored four goals in 14 starts in 32 games across all competitions, thanks to an obligation clause in the original loan. In July 2022, he made the switch to Luis Enrique’s side on a permanent basis, having previously scored 11 goals and provided 4 assists in 28 appearances for his boyhood club, STADE de Reims, to draw the attention of the top clubs in Europe. Although Ekitike is a former Newcastle target, he can also play at centre-forward or on the left flank.
Crystal Palace’s attack is made up of Edouard, Mateta and Ayew – but they lost their top scorer, Wilfried Zaha, in the summer. West Ham allowed their 2022 signing, Scamacca, to leave on a free transfer to join Roma without a striker in-house.
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Burnley, Leicester City and Crystal Palace in race to sign Colchester United sensation Bradley Ihionvien
Colchester United forward Bradley Ihionvein has been tracked by a number of high-profile Premier League and Championship sides, including Burnley and Crystal Palace, as well as Leicester, Watford, and Norwich, according to Football Insider sources. The 19-year-old has impressed in League Two so far this season.
Ihionvein notched three goals in 18 appearances at the eighth-tier club.
After making his debut in the final game of 2021-22, the powerful striker has scored twice in his last three matches, including last weekend’s (9 September) victory over Tranmere. He has made six appearances so far this season in League Two, with scouts flocking to watch him play. Colchester are high on the attacker and are expecting interest in the left-footed forward, who is out
of contract at the end of the season. The striker has further senior football experience, having spent the first half of 2022-23 on loan at Non-League Maldon and non-league Tiptree. Colchester have produced some established EFL stars in the past, including Blackburn’s Sammie Szmodics and Stokes’ junior Tchmadeu, who both earned hefty six-figure fees after leaving the club in recent years. Burnley and Crystal Palace, who have a history of nurturing top talent, are also interested, while Leicester and Watford and Norwich may be less interesting due to their status as second-tier clubs.
