It just doesn’t seem to go the right way for Sam Allardyce at the moment. The Eagles showed great spirit throughout the match but couldn’t keep a persistent Everton side from scoring. To make things worse, Swansea City had a brilliant win in at Anfield and leapfrogged Crystal Palace to the 17th position.
However, the fact that Allardyce’s backline looked unsettled despite playing five at the back indicates that bringing Jefferey Schlupp wasn’t enough. And the boss has previously expressed his plan to bring an overhaul to the side that was handed over by Alan Pardew.
Palace fans expect to have a busy transfer window and with only eight days to go, it is bound to intensify. And according to reports, the Palace manager is now plotting a move for Sunderland defender Patrick Aanholt in the next few days.
Although David Moyes has confirmed it repeatedly that Sunderland have no plans of selling any of its players as he wishes to build the team around the existing players, their financial crisis could be a big obstacle in his vision. Reportedly, a move is more or less likely as the Black Cats boss has now been forced to dip actively in the market for a replacement for the defender.
The ex-Chelsea defender has been one of the key players for Sunderland being their third highest scorer so far, and Palace are expected to place a bid of £12m for the player. Moyes already has his eyes on Phil Jagielka and Bryan Oviedo of Everton if a move takes place.
Although Sunderland have conceded as many as 42 goals this season so far, their defenders have surprisingly been in demand by other rival clubs. While Everton boss Koeman has been targeting their centre-half Lamine Kone for a long time, Palace and Swansea City have been monitoring Aanholt.
During Allardyce’s stint with Sunderland last season, he has worked with the 26-year-old Dutch international and he is looking at a reunion. Moyes has been told he can use £10m from the sale of the Dutch full-back to strengthen his Sunderland squad and add quality to his first team.
Interestingly, Aanholt has also worked with new Swansea boss Paul Clement during his time at Chelsea and he too knows his potential. We think that if Moyes manages to land Jagielka with the sale of Aanholt, it would be a good deal as Sunderland are unlikely to hold on to him next season if they survive relegation.
