Crystal Palace are weighing up a summer swoop for Derby County’s teenage prospect Malcolm Ebiowei this summer.
According to The Sun, Derby County are bracing themselves for another raid from Crystal Palace, for the signing of Malcolm Ebiowei. The young striker currently plies his trade with the club’s reserve side but he has been able to make his Championship breakthrough this season, with many expecting him to make the switch to the Premier League in the summer.
After signing Luke Plange last summer, Crystal Palace are looking to rope in another talented Derby County teenager ahead of the new season. Ebiowei is currently their priority, with Patrick Vieira being left impressed by the youngster’s blazing performances in the U18 Premier League and the Championship so far.
A centre-forward by trade, Ebiowei was asked to play for Derby County’s first team in light of the club’s financial crisis that led to the departure of a host of established stars. The 18-year-old has done an exceptional job as well, despite primarily featuring as a right-winger under Wayne Rooney.
Although the 18-year-old has registered only one assist in 14 Championship matches this term, he has shown enormous potential and could be much more successful if deployed in a more central role. After all, the striker had netted as many as seven goals in seven U18 Premier League matches earlier in the campaign before being handed a role in the first team.
Despite making such a big leap in terms of quality, Ebiowei has shown he has what it takes to become a success at the highest level of football. And his performances have not gone unnoticed either, with the 18-year-old emerging as a target for Crystal Palace.
The Eagles have an abundance of strikers in their ranks currently, but a few of them could depart in the summer, including Jordan Ayew, who is out of contract at the end of the season. Malcolm Ebiowei, to that end, could prove to be an ideal replacement, given his vast potential and a dynamic style of play that could make him a potential asset for Vieira in the years to come.
With Derby County in a state of crisis, it won’t be particularly difficult for Crystal Palace to land Ebiowei either, although they must be aware of the interest from other Premier League clubs, in the pursuit of the teenage sensation.