According to reports, Premier League side Crystal Palace are now eyeing a move for Red Bull Leipzig’s Oliver Burke following the desperation that the sudden injury to Wilfred Zaha has given to new manager Frank De Boer. The Eagles were already blunt up front as it is and the month-long injury to one of their better players will surely make things more difficult for them now.
Boer had to start his season in the Premier League in the most nightmarish way possible as the Dutch gaffer lost a home game to newly promoted side Huddersfield Town. Not only did the Eagles lose to the Terriers, but they were comfortably outplayed by them that asks pretty pertinent questions about the tactics of Boer.
However, it is just the start and Boer gets a chance almost immediately to mend things as they visit Liverpool this weekend and a positive result at Anfield will cool down the outrage to some extent. Crystal Palace have brought in Dutch defenders Jairo Riedewald from AFC Ajax and Timothy Fosu-Mensah from Manchester United (loan) to strengthen their defence and central midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek from Chelsea (loan) for their midfield.
With the likes of Bakary Sako and Jonathan Williams also injured who could take Zaha’s role, Boer is left with Chung-Yong Lee and Andros Townsend on the flanks who have failed to make any sort of impact in the Premier League whatsoever. Burke surely looks like their fourth signing at the moment although RB Leipzig won’t make it easy for them.
Leipzig’s Sporting director Ralf Ragnick has made it clear that “a loan (deal) is out of the question” for Burke. They had to shell out £13 million to land him from Championship side Nottingham Forest last summer, which indicates that Palace will have to shell out more than that to land him. Burke has found first-team chances rare of late and could be tempted by a move to England.
It is rare to see a Scottish talent flourishing in Germany and Burke’s young age has seen his chances coming from bench mostly. He managed to play 25 Bundesliga games last season scoring once and assisting twice in them and Leipzig aren’t very keen on holding on to him as well. He has shown signs of being one of those overrated targets in English football and he will have to choose the right path before things go south.
His nascent age would need more game time to sharpen his edge and Palace could be a place for him. Burke has a big frame compared to his age and could adapt to Premier League’s physicality quite well.
