Crystal Palace are interested in retaining the services of Yohan Cabaye. The French midfielder is currently set to depart on a free transfer at the end of the season as he’s entering the final six months of his contract with the Eagles. A recent report claims that Palace manager Roy Hodgson wants to keep hold of the veteran midfielder who arrived from Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth £10m in July 2015.
Hodgson has suggested that Cabaye has improved his game after a period of inconsistency and he wants to make full use of his services in their quest to save themselves from a potential relegation from the Premier League.
In the pre-match press conference ahead of their match against Leicester City, Hodgson told Sky Sports reporters, “If you say to me would I like Yohan Cabaye to keep working here with me, then, of course, the answer is ‘yes’,”
“I’m a big admirer of his and he’s doing a fantastic job.
“But his situation with the club will be discussed with [director of football] Dougie [Freedman] and the chairman [Steve Parish] and then they’ll bring me in on the discussion at the appropriate time.
“There’s no doubt he’s one of the players we have who are bonafide, quality, Premier League players who can keep us in the league, and that group needs assisting by being boosted, not pruning down in any way.
“I’m pretty certain he won’t go anywhere this season and at the moment that’s the only thing in the forefront of my mind: the 2017/18 season, keeping us in the league.”
With Cabaye potentially set to depart the club at the end of this current season, let’s take a look at three options which Roy Hodgson can look at, to replace the veteran midfielder.
Davy Klaassen
The Dutch midfielder can be an ideal fit for the Eagles if they can acquire his services from Everton. The 24-year-old has failed to impress at Merseyside but that doesn’t mean that he won’t be able to cut the mustard at Palace. There’s no doubt about his quality which has seen him score 55 goals and make 38 assists in 180 appearances for Ajax Amsterdam in the Dutch Eredivisie.
Tiémoué Bakayoko
The Chelsea midfielder has been subject to a lot of criticism for his performances this season. He has failed to shine in the Blues’ midfield and now Chelsea fans are asking him to be benched. Crystal Palace can monitor and make use of this situation. They can probably look to take Bakayoko on loan or on a permanent transfer in the summer, depending upon how things pan out for both clubs.
Mousa Dembele
The Tottenham Hotspur midfield can be one of the league’s best players on his day and with his contract running out in the summer of 2019, Palace can definitely put in an offer for him. The Belgian knows the Premier League well and can be a fine fit for the Eagles going into the future.
