Crystal Palace are reportedly set to battle it out with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City in the race to sign Flynn Downes.
According to The Sun, Crystal Palace are eyeing a move for a host of young players from the Championship ahead of the new season as Patrick Vieira looks to continue his method of developing young talents. Among his many targets, one of them is Flynn Downes, who is currently plying his trade with Swansea City.
The pursuit of the 23-year-old central midfielder might not be easy, though, with the player also being courted by Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Wolves, in particular, view Downes as an ideal replacement for Morgan Gibbs-White, who, in turn, has emerged as a target for Crystal Palace as well.
Formerly of Ipswich Town, Downes had been a part of Swansea City since last summer. The English midfielder had joined the Welsh club on the back of his breakthrough in League One, with the midfielder costing around €1.7 million. But after a successful debut season in the Championship, Downes has proven to be a bargain for the Welsh outfit.
Downes indeed became a midfield lynchpin for Swansea in his first season at the club, racking up 37 league appearances. The 23-year-old has left quite an impression with his work ethic and ability to thrive in the second line of press. It has made him an appealing target for Crystal Palace, who are bracing themselves for life without Conor Gallagher.
In an attempt to replace the Chelsea starlet, Crystal Palace have targeted many players including Joe Aribo. But someone like Flynn Downes could be an interesting option as he provides a lot of value in the second line of press and has more experience in English football, even though he is yet to play in the top flight.
Downes is unlikely to cost a fortune either, with Swansea reportedly willing to offload him for a fee of around €10 million. It should be a bargain for a player of his calibre, although Crystal Palace must be aware of the competition from Wolves and Leicester City in the race to sign the 23-year-old.
While Wolves view the 23-year-old English midfielder as a replacement for Morgan Gibbs-White, Leicester could target him as the ideal successor for Youri Tielemans, who has reportedly agreed personal terms with Arsenal, ahead of a potential move away from the King Power Stadium this summer.
