After a disastrous start to their league campaign, Crystal Palace have managed to move to the 12th place in the points table, 5 points away from the drop zone. Roy Hodgson, who only took over the club just a couple of months ago, has had a decent impact in his time in London and is now looking to improve on the results of the first half of the season.
The squad at Selhurst Park is not the best and the January transfer window will give the manager a chance to add some quality to his side, to help them for the rest of the season. This has seen them linked with a number of exciting stars but one name, now on their radar is Inter Milan star Eder.
According to reports in Italy, Crystal Palace have placed a £9.75m bid for the experienced striker, as they look to solve their goal-scoring woes. Fiorentina star Khouma Babacar is still their top transfer target but Hodgson wants Eder to add some experience to their ranks this month. So who is Eder and what will he add to the squad at Palace?
Having made a name for himself in his three-year stint at Empoli, where he managed 27 goals in 40 games, Eder joined Inter Milan, after he spent four long years at Sampdoria. He moved to San Siro back in January 2016 and has already made 60 league appearances for the club. He has managed just nine goals and has not been in the best of forms this season.
Eder is yet to start a Serie A game this season and has racked up just one goal in 15 substitute appearances and it is understood that Palace want to lure him to England, with a promise of regular game time.
Known for his keen eye for goal, Eder is a fox-in-the-box kind of striker, who loves to make a nuisance of himself in the final third. He loves to have the ball at his feet and is adept at making space for himself, before the testing the keeper. He is capable of dropping deep when needed or running the lines and at 31, is one of the most experienced strikers currently in Serie A.
He does have his problems in the air, which could be a problem for Palace but he adds a variety to the Palace attack, that has been missing this season.
While the likes of Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend have done well, Palace have Christian Benteke, who is out of form and Bakary Sako, who is out of favour, as their only options to lead the line. Though they are looking at some exciting names, Eder is a player who can completely change Palace’s fortunes in front of goal. But do you think he is the right man for the Eagles?
