The Crystal Palace faithful will be slightly disappointed by how the season has played out so far.
Roy Hodgson’s side are 14th in the Premier League after 20 games with just 21 points and have a rather tricky fixture versus Arsenal to come next which should shift them further down the league.
With that in mind, the Eagles must look to strengthen their squad in January, with a defender on their shortlist.
Crystal Palace transfers latest – defender search
According to TEAMtalk earlier this week, Palace are interested in signing Trevoh Chalobah from Chelsea this January.
It won’t be a straightforward pursuit, however, with Bayern Munich – managed by his former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel – and Roma – managed by Jose Mourinho, both lining up a move for the defender.
The Chelsea centre-back has been put up for sale by his current club, and they hope to receive £25m for his services.
A move for Chalobah this January is likely, but the Eagles will only attempt to sign him if their move for Arsenal centre-forward Eddie Nketiah doesn’t progress.
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Why Trevoh Chalobah would be a good signing for Palace
In the summer of 2021, Marc Guehi joined Crystal Palace from Chelsea for £18m, after failing to nail down a spot in the starting XI at the Blues.
Since moving to the Eagles, the signing has been a huge success, with the now-23-year-old becoming arguably the first name on the team sheet, earning the captain’s armband and finding himself in the England squad.
Hodgson will be hoping that by signing Chalobah, he will be able to recreate that Guehi masterclass from three years ago. Just like Palace’s number six, Chalobah came through the Chelsea academy, but he is looking for a new challenge away from his boyhood club after being frozen out by Mauricio Pochettino.
The 24-year-old hasn’t played a single minute this season, with his last competitive match being Chelsea’s 1-1 draw to Newcastle back in May, but prior to the arrival of the new boss, he featured quite heavily, making 25 appearances last season in the Premier League.
The table below shows a handful of Chalobah’s statistics from the last year and how they compare to his positional peers throughout Europe.
|
Chalobah’s Stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90) |
Chalobah |
Ranking in Europe |
|
Passes completed |
60.06 |
Top 18% |
|
Touches |
79.93 |
Top 16% |
|
Progressive carries |
1.26 |
Top 10% |
|
Tackles |
2.07 |
Top 15% |
|
Dribblers tackled |
1.71 |
Top 1% |
|
Interceptions |
1.44 |
Top 27% |
|
Stats via FBref |
||
Chalobah has been described as “ice cold” previously by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, and based on his composure on the ball, it is easy to see why. The ex-Lorient loanee is a player who loves to get on the ball and be involved in build-up, as shown by his passes completed, touches, and progressive carries.
He is also a rock out of possession, using his physicality and athleticism to tackle opponents and stop dribblers from reaching dangerous areas with the ball. The Englishman is also an intelligent player who reads the game well, as displayed by his 1.44 interceptions per 90 minutes.
Chalobah is extremely versatile, as he can also play as a right-back and even a defensive midfielder if necessary. This makes the Chelsea man such a valuable asset to have, and it makes him perfect for Palace, who are currently light in those positions.
In short, signing Chalobah for just £25m would be an absolute bargain that Crystal Palace must look to secure this January.