Crystal Palace are reportedly keeping tabs on Rayo Vallecano’s 24-year-old French attacker Randy Nteka.
According to Fichajes, Crystal Palace are interested in signing 24-year-old French attacker Randy Nteka from La Liga high-fliers Rayo Vallecano.
The Eagles are currently at the start of a new era under manager Patrick Vieira. Crystal Palace have impressed this season but have often fallen short in closely-fought games. For instance, last week the Eagles gave a good account of themselves against a superior Liverpool side, causing the Reds plenty of problems, only to ultimately fail to take their chances.
Despite the exciting brand of football that is now becoming the norm at Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace lack a dependable attacker who can lead the line. Christian Benteke is arguably past his peak, while loanee Jean-Phillippe Mateta and summer signing Odsonne Edouard have been inconsistent at best.
Signing a prolific striker is on the agenda, and one player that the Eagles are keeping tabs on is Nteka. The 24-year-old can play both upfront and as an attacking midfielder when needed. He moved to Rayo Vallecano from the Spanish lower league side Fuenlabrada in 2021 and has since impressed.
The Frenchman is a physical specimen who can use his physicality to great effect, especially when it comes to aerial duels. He is also capable of connecting well with his teammates and has the potential to be a tricky player to defend against. However, Nteka struggles to serve as a target man and has shown his inability to hold the ball up effectively.
The 24-year-old has managed to find the back of the net just thrice in 20 appearances for the La Liga high-fliers across all competitions. While the numbers may be decent for an attacking midfielder, they are extremely poor for a striker, especially one that Crystal Palace require.
Vieira could be better off keeping faith in Edouard and Mateta going forward. Nteka has some skill but has shown little to suggest that he will be an upgrade over what Palace already have in their ranks. Whether they see something in the player that few others do remains to be seen. After all, the 24-year-old is being monitored by several European teams, including TSG Hoffenheim.