James Scott (Image credit: Google)
According to TEAMTalk (h/t Burnley Express), Crystal Palace are interested in signing 19-year-old Hull City ace James Scott ahead of next season.
The report suggests that Leeds United and Newcastle United have also made inquiries on the possibility of signing the youngster.
Born in Scotland, Scott came through the ranks of Motherwell’s youth system. He was promoted to the club’s senior set-up last summer but had already made his debut in the 2016/17 campaign. He made 7 league appearances in the 2018/19 campaign and went on to become a regular member of the squad.
However, he could manage to rack up just 3 goals in 22 league games for the Scottish outfit and made the move to Hull City last January. So far, he has made seven appearances for the Championship side, managing to score only on one occasion. Scott made his Scotland U21 debut last September.
Though the Eagles managed to finish 14th in the league standings, they were one of the weakest teams since the restart. Roy Hodgson’s men lost 7 of their last 9 league games and that highlights the need for reinforcements.
One of the major reasons for their downfall was the lack of consistency in front of goal. First-choice striker Jordan Ayew managed to score just 9 goals while Christian Benteke failed to score throughout the campaign. Connor Wickham just returned from a disappointing loan spell with Sheffield Wednesday. Thus, they should consider signing a striker this summer.
However, making a move for Hull City’s Scott doesn’t make sense. The youngster hasn’t been at his best and has managed to score only one goal in the Championship since his arrival. Moreover, he is inexperienced and cannot be depended upon to lead their attack.
At the moment, Palace need to bring in an in-form striker who can guarantee them goals right from the start. And given Scott’s inexperience and lack of consistency in front of goal, he wouldn’t be an ideal solution for now. The manager should either get the best out of his players or look for other options instead of bringing in the youngster this summer.
Given Palace’s struggles in front of goal in the latter stages of the 2019/20 campaign, it is clear that they need to bring in in-form strikers who can help them right away. And Scott, who is inexperienced, would find it difficult as he hasn’t been in his best goalscoring form. Thus, they should refrain from making any move for the Scottish youngster this summer.
