Why Bright Osayi-Samuel could be a good signing for Crystal Palace
According to West London Sport, Crystal Palace are among a host of Premier League and Championship clubs to have expressed an interest in QPR winger Bright Osayi-Samuel.
The 22-year-old recently turned down a move to Belgian giants Club Brugge after the R’s accepted a £4.7million bid for the highly-rated winger. He is willing to wait for approaches from other clubs. (h/t West London Sport)
As per the source, QPR have since reopened talks with the Nigeria-born star over a new long-term deal, having triggered a one-year extension clause to extend his stay at Loftus Road until the summer of 2021.
Profile
Born in Nigeria, Bright Osayi-Samuel moved to Spain with his family at a young age before settling in Woolwich, London when he was just ten. The 22-year-old rose through the youth ranks of Blackpool and featured in the Championship, League One, and League Two, before earning a move to second-tier club QPR back in the summer of 2017.
The right-footed ace only played a bit-part role during his first couple of seasons at Loftus Road, showing glimpses of his potential, before establishing himself as a regular starter under Mark Warburton last season.
Osayi-Samuel went on to enjoy the most productive campaign of his career last term, plundering 5 goals and 8 assists in 37 league appearances for QPR, while also netting once in the FA Cup.
Palace’s attacking woes
Crystal Palace only managed 31 goals en route to their 14th-place finish in the 2019-20 Premier League, which was the second-worst scoring record in the English top-flight after relegated Norwich City.
That pretty much sums up the dismal form of their attackers last season. So, it goes without saying that the Eagles need to improve on their lacklustre performances in the final third if they are to aim for better things than just avoiding relegation season after season.
Jordan Ayew’s 9-goal haul in the previous campaign was one of the rare positives for Roy Hodgson. It was really shocking that the other attackers, including star man Wilfried Zaha, just didn’t do enough in terms of goal contributions to support the Ghanaian.
Zaha’s future at Selhurst Park remains up in the air amid continued interest from other top clubs, despite the Ivorian managing a meagre return of 4 goals and 3 assists in 38 PL outings last term. Andros Townsend, who remains a key player for Palace down the wide areas, also performed well below expectations last season, scoring once in 24 league appearances.
Osayi-Samuel could add some much-needed ‘brightness’ to Palace’s subdued attack
Suffice to say, Palace are in dire need of reshaping their attacking options regardless of what the future holds for Zaha. And the acquisition of a talented youngster like Bright Osayi-Samuel could be a step in the right direction.
The likes of David Brooks, Daniel James, and James Maddison have all made the step up to the Premier League after promising campaigns in the Championship. And the 22-year-old winger could be the next big talent from England’s second-tier to cut his teeth in the top-flight.
According to Whoscored, Osayi-Samuel averaged an impressive 2.9 dribbles and 1.2 key passes per game in the Championship last season to go along with a pass success rate of 83.9, which is incredible for an attacking winger.
Regardless of how those numbers compare to Palace’s existing attackers, the Eagles should line him up as a potential target considering the lack of specialist options in the wide areas beyond Townsend, Zaha, and Jeffrey Schlupp.
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Verdict
Bright Osayi-Samuel still has his best years ahead of him at 22. He is a player who should be well within Palace’s financial means, given that QPR recently accepted a £4.7m bid from Club Brugge.
Plus, his versatility to play out wide on either side of the attack and up top as a centre-forward should hand a massive boost to Hodgson’s squad dynamics. The Nigerian-English starlet seems like a real talent and Palace making a move for him can pay off handsomely.
