Crystal Palace have been approached to sign a “very special” striker despite Jean-Philippe Mateta’s poor form.
Mateta’s future at Selhurst Park is in doubt, with Tottenham Hotspur recently joining the race to sign the Frenchman, whose contract expires at the end of next season, and it has become clear he has no interest in extending his contract.
The 28-year-old has been a reliable goalscorer for Palace for many years, with 56 goals and 13 assists in 186 appearances, but his form has actually taken a nosedive since November, scoring just two goals in his last 13 Premier League games.
With the three-time France international suffering from poor form and keen to leave, the Eagles have begun searching for a replacement, targeting Rennes’ Mohamed Kader Meite and Paris Saint-Germain’s Gonzalo Ramos.
However, the possibility of signing another centre-forward is growing, with TEAMtalk reporting that an intermediary has contacted Crystal Palace to inform them that Genk’s Oh Hyun-kyu is available and would be interested in a move to the Premier League.
However, Palace may need to move quickly, given that Fulham are in the race for the Korean marksman, the Cottage are determined to get a deal over the line, and Leeds United have also been approached.
Oliver Glasner’s side are said to be looking for a new striker, but there are question marks over whether the 24-year-old is the best option available…
‘Very special’ Oh Hyun-gyu has yet to prove his ability in the major leagues
The 24-time South Korean international has been a relatively reliable goalscorer for the four clubs he has played for, but has yet to prove himself in one of Europe’s major leagues.
Oh Hyun Gyu’s scoring record | Appearance | the goal |
Genk | 71 | twenty two |
Suwon Bluewings | 53 | 14 |
celtic | 47 | 12 |
Naotake Kinizumi | 40 | 9 |
The Genk star has scored 10 goals in all competitions this season, a positive sign, with former South Korea national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann hailing him as a “very special talent”.
Crystal Palace enter race to sign ‘incredible’ forward with same agent as Johnson
The Eagles are keen to sign another new forward this month.
That said, there are undoubtedly some far better options on Crystal Palace’s shortlist, such as Ramos, the 24-year-old, who scored 19 goals in all competitions for PSG last season and has also scored two goals in this season’s Champions League.
The PSG striker is the same age as the Genk player and should be Palace’s number one target, given his extensive experience at the top level, having found the back of the net 10 times in 22 caps for Portugal.
