Scott Arfield is one of the most experienced players in the squad (Getty Images)
According to a report from the Scottish Sun, Rangers star Scott Arfield is a £3million summer target for Premier League side Crystal Palace.
Scott Arfield, 30, joined Rangers on a free transfer last summer after his contract at Burnley expired and he has been a huge hit at the Ibrox, scoring 11 goals in all competitions this season.
The report adds that Crystal Palace will face competition from Southampton for the Canadian, who scored his first-ever hat-trick against Motherwell recently.
Interestingly, the Sky Sports reported back in January 2018 that Crystal Palace were one of the Premier League sides interested in Arfield. However, a move didn’t materialise then but the main question arises now—should the Eagles sign the midfielder at the end of the season?
No, Palace should not sign Arfield this summer. The Eagles want the Canadian to bolster their options in midfield but Roy Hodgson already has an array of alternatives.
In Max Meyer, Cheikhou Kouyate, James McArthur, Luka Milivojevic and Jeffrey Schlupp, the South Londoners have a lot of variety as far as the midfield department is concerned.
Arfield is an attacking midfielder by trade but he is capable of playing anywhere in midfield, as well as in the attack. In Rangers colours, he has scored 11 goals – including a hat-trick against Motherwell last month – as well as laying on seven assists for his teammates.
He is one of the first names on Steven Gerrard’s team sheet and has taken the responsibility of being a link between the midfield and the attack. But Arfield won’t improve Palace’s squad much if Hodgson manages to sign him.
The Eagles play a 4-4-1-1, 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 system under Hodgson, where the Canadian international would rarely be able to make an impact.
The 30-year-old had made a decent impact when he played for Burnley and Huddersfield and has plenty of Premier League experience in his CV, but his addition won’t take the South Londoners into a different level.
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Also, Arfield has stated that he is happy at Rangers when asked about a move down south, earlier this month.
Hence, Palace should end their pursuit of the 30-year-old midfielder, as he won’t really add much value to their squad. Instead, Hodgson should invest in the areas that need strong reinforcing in the summer.