Sam Allardyce was again left frustrated in his pursuit of a league win since taking charge. After a good display by Palace for most of the game, it was a late strike by Everton defender Seamus Coleman that sealed the win for the Toffees.
To make it worse, Tottenham has rejected the Eagles’ bid of £8million for their full-back, Ben Davies. After Jan Vertonghen’s injury, which keeps him out for six weeks, Mauricio Pochettino wants to keep his options open at the club.
Here are 3 alternatives Allardyce could opt for.
James Bree
Getting players from Premier League rivals in the midseason can be really difficult especially those who are regular substitutes. We think Allardyce should rather look at Championship sides, who have had certain revelations this season, and Barnsley defender James Bree is one such candidate.
The current valuation for the 19-year-old side side-back is £4m, a sum Palace could definitely meet. Bree’s versatility can be of huge importance to Crystal Palace. The player could also play on the wings and fast enough to cause worries in the opponent’s attacking third. Bree has played 18 times for Barnsley this season so far and has registered three assists.
Southampton are the prime suitor for the Barnsley academy product and Palace will face stiff competition from them in landing the talented defender.
Mamadou Sakho
Joel Matip is cleared by FIFA, which now makes Sakho’s departure all the more probable. And the fact that Klopp has restrained himself from using the French international even when the Reds are experiencing big gaps at the back clearly indicates his current position in the club.
The Reds bought the player for £25m from Paris Saint-Germain and would like to squeeze out the most in his resale value. Sakho hasn’t seen any first-team action this season except for some Under 23 matches. Keeping his fitness has been a huge challenge for Sakho and Allardyce will have work hard on him if he decides to get him.
However, given his big frame and vision for long balls, the Frenchman makes for a huge asset for any club.
Phil Jagielka
His time is almost up at Goodison Park with current boss Ronald Koeman opting for Funes Mori and Holgate mostly. The old man, who was brought to Goodison Park in 2007 by David Moyes, has now fallen down the pecking order and sees his days numbered.
However, the 34-year-old still has a good two years left in him to perform at the top level and Palace could well be an ideal platform. His experience of playing played 583 matches in English football is quite invaluable and could bring the much-needed solidity to Allardyce’s backline.
