Yesterday was Sam Allardyce’s first game in charge of Crystal Palace. On the Boxing Day, his Eagles side faced Walter Mazzarri’s Watford and could only manage a 1-1 draw. Big Sam will be gutted with the fact that he failed to start his stint at Selhurst Park on a winning note.
He could have had a winning start if Christian Benteke hadn’t missed from the spot. Big Sam was brought in by Crystal Palace as the Eagles had a tough time under Alan Pardew of late and we can expect the former England manager to utilise the winter transfer window to bolster his squad.
Allardyce is eyeing a raid on his former club Sunderland as per reports from Express Sport. The English media house are claiming that Allardyce is looking to bring Sunderland defender Lamine Kone in January and is prepared to pay £15m for his services. He himself signed the player at Sunderland for just £5m in January 2016 and the Ivorian proved to be a decisive factor as Sunderland successfully staved off relegation.
Kone was a wanted man back in the summer and Sunderland found it really hard to keep him at the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats are again struggling this season and could drop down finally by the end of the season. Crystal Palace, meanwhile are just above the danger zone but there is no breathing space. They badly need to stop leaking goals and Big Sam has a track record of bringing defensive stability.
Allardyce knows Kone closely from their time together at the Stadium of Light. Kone did not spend too much time in Allardyce’s setup but in that short amount of time, he did enough to make a name for himself in the Premier League.
Now aged 27, Kone still has his best days ahead of him and can be a success at Selhurst Park in the long run. Damien Delaney is 35 now while James Tomkins has done nothing to impress since his summer move.
Kone could be the ideal partner of Scott Dann at the heart of Crystal Palace defence. He is brilliant in the air which is visible from his record of 2.5 aerial duels won this season. However, his passing (69.1%) leaves a lot to be desired.
Even if Crystal Palace manages to sign the Ivorian in winter, he will be unavailable in January due to his national commitment to Ivory Coast in the African Cup of Nations. This could be the only hindrance in any deal for the 27-year-old, otherwise, we would say it will be a good deal for Crystal Palace. Besides, Sunderland might have to sell considering their tight finances, so it’s a deal very likely to materialise.
