According to a recent report by the Daily Star, Premier League outfit Crystal Palace haven’t given up their interest in Russian international striker Fedor Chalov despite having a £14m bid rejected by CSKA Moscow last summer. The Eagles are said to have continued to watch the youngster’s progress this season.
The report suggests that the Russian club are hoping to start a bidding war for the youngster’s services, to try and bring in the maximum transfer fee possible. The story further claims that the striker commands a fee in the region of £25m, and the likes of Brighton, Chelsea and West Ham have all sent enquiries to the Russian outfit over the course of the last year.
CSKA Moscow are said to be willing to offer Chalov the club of his choice, meaning that there are undoubtedly several parties interested in the 21-year-old’s goalscoring talents next season. Despite not performing up to the same standard of the last term, CSKA are said to believe that there would be no shortage of suitors for his signature.
What Would Chalov Add To Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace Side?
The 21-year-old took the European footballing scene by storm last season when he was seen consistently scoring goals at a brisk pace. Despite the numbers flattening out a bit this term, it’s evident that Chalov is destined for big things in the coming seasons. Standing at 1.8m tall, the Russian international tend to offer quite the presence in the opposition box with his physical approach to the game, and he wins most of the headers that he challenges for.
An adept finisher after getting into the box, Chalov has an extensive arsenal of strikes under his belt, including outside of the boot curlers and delicate chips over the keeper. In fact, the striker’s biggest quality is his ability to create a goal out of thin air – an attribute that this Palace side has been crying out for over the last couple of seasons. Although he scored 15 goals in 30 league fixtures last term, this campaign’s return of five goals and five assists from 22 matches is more than respectable too.
Why Should Roy Hodgson Turn His Attention To Chalov?
Over the last couple of seasons, one of the biggest struggles that this Crystal Palace side has had to deal with was the lack of a quality striker up-front. Although Jordan Ayew has been a welcome change in that regard, the Ghanaian clearly doesn’t possess the quality required to deliver consistently in the Premier League. Chalov’s youthfulness means that playing with him could bring the best out of players like Wilfried Zaha and Max Meyer as well.
Chalov would undoubtedly be a upgrade on Ayew, who is much smaller than the Russian in stature as well. A very different kind of striker to the Ghanaian, Chalov is one of the deadliest finishers in Europe after getting into the box. What he lacks in pace, he more than makes up for with effort and dedication towards the cause. The youngster’s sheer ambition and drive should be enough for him to excel in the Premier League, and Crystal Palace will do well to sign him up this summer.
