Crystal Palace may have helped themselves out of the hole they dug for themselves at the start of the season, thanks to Roy Hodgson, they are now looking to break into the top half of the table and have a great chance to do so if they can add some quality to their ranks this month.
The manager is desperately looking for fresh faces, that will help his side in the business end of the season and has been linked with some of the finest stars in Europe, for a move this January. One player, they have all but signed is Vicente Guaita.
According to a Sky Sports journalist, Crystal Palace have agreed to a deal to sign the 31-year old this month. Guaita is out of a contract with his current club Getafe, at the end of the season, and Palace were reportedly in pole position to sign him on a free transfer in the summer.
However, it is now understood that Palace are looking to activate a £3.5m release clause in his contract, that will help get him to London this month. Reports claim that Getafe are happy to let him leave this month but should Palace pay his release clause or wait until the summer?
A highly rated shot-stopper in Spain, the 31-year old graduated from the academy at Valencia, before he spent six years with the senior side, making 76 La Liga appearances at the Mestalla. He was offloaded to Getafe back in 2014 and took no time to establish himself as the first choice goalkeeper at the Alfonso Perez Stadium.
He has five clean sheets in 18 starts in the Spanish domestic league this season, and already has 97 appearances for Getafe in all competitions. He has 160 La Liga appearances to his name and is one of the most experienced players in his position in Spain at the moment.
He averages 3.2 saves per game this season and the last and makes an astonishing 1.7 saves from the penalty box per game, making him an effective shot-stopper.
His numbers are better than any player in this role for Hodgson at Crystal Palace. While Wayne Hennessey has been the preferred choice for the manager, neither he nor Julian Speroni has done enough to convince the manager that they are long-term options, which explains Hodgson’s interest in the 31-year old Spaniard.
Guaita is an established star, who has all the attributes to be a hit in England and will probably walk into the first team if he moves to the English capital. So Palace should certainly meet his release clause before the deadline day this month.
