Why Crystal Palace must not let go of Alexander Sorloth
According to Daily Mail, Serie A side Napoli are interested in signing Crystal Palace striker Alexander Sorloth, who is currently on loan with Trabzonspor.
The Norwegian finisher has enjoyed a successful loan spell with the Turkish side, scoring 23 goals from 33 league games attracting interest from not just Napoli but also Wolfsburg and Fiorentina. (h/t Daily Mail)
The report also suggests that Napoli are willing to pay £22m to Palace in order to secure a permanent move for Sorloth. Meanwhile, the 24-year-old has undergone a turnaround in fortunes since his move to Trabzonspor last summer.
He has racked up a total of 31 goals and 10 assists across all competitions for the Turkish side following his poor spell with Palace, whom he joined back in January 2018.
Sorloth’s poor form at Selhurst Park saw the Norwegian starting in just four of Crystal Palace’s Premier League fixtures before he was offloaded on loan to Belgian side Genk 12 months after his arrival.
Though he was not in the best of form in Belgium, the move to Trabzonspor has revived his career. However, any transfer for Sorloth would also have to be sanctioned by Trabzonspor as they agreed on a two-year loan for the forward with an option to buy at the end of the contract.
Palace need a consistent goalscorer like Sorloth
Meanwhile, Roy Hodgson’s Palace have netted in just 30 goals from their 37 league games so far, giving a clear idea of the side’s lack of sharpness in attack. The Eagles’ lack of a consistent goalscorer has seen them side slip to a lowly 14th in the league rankings this season.
Jordan Ayew remains the side’s top-scorer in the league this season with nine goals to his name. However, it is far from impressive considering the fact that he has done it from as many as 36 league appearances.
Also, apart from Ayew, Palace just have Christian Benteke and Connor Wickham in their striking department but the duo have failed to impress continuously. Despite featuring in 24 league matches, the experienced Benteke has managed just two goals, showing clear signs that he is not in the best of form.
Wickham, on the other hand, is down the pecking order under Hodgson having made just six league appearances, before leaving on loan for Sheffield Wednesday. Considering all this, losing an inform striker such as Sorloth can hurt Palace in the foreseeable future.
Having proved himself this season in Turkey, Palace have a consistent goalscorer such as Sorloth in their ranks and should try to bring him to Selhurst Park at least before next season kicks off.
Hence, they should ward off interest from clubs abroad and keep Sorloth with the side as he could prove to be the man to lead their attack in the coming days.
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Verdict
Palace’s poor form in front of goal has made it evident that they are clearly in need of a consistent goalscorer. That said, offloading an in-form striker such as Sorloth would turn out to be a wasteful move. They should rather bring him back to Palace despite the two-year loan deal with Trabzonspor if they wish to better their displays next season.
