Crystal Palace and Fulham have reportedly sounded out a summer swoop for Southampton forward Che Adams.
According to Daily Mail, Crystal Palace and Fulham have made enquiries about a move for Southampton forward Che Adams. The Saints paid £15 million to sign the Scottish striker.
Southampton captured Adams from Birmingham City in the summer of 2019 for a sum in the region of £15 million. Albeit not renowned for being a prolific goalscorer, he regularly chipped in with crucial goals in the Premier League for the south coast club over the years.
Despite a rough period for the Saints, Adams still managed to put his stamp on things last season. The 27-year-old, who has one year left on his contract at St. Mary’s, netted 10 goals and registered three assists in 35 appearances across all competitions — the most of a Southampton player. But he was unable to prevent the Saints’ relegation from the Premier League.
New Southampton boss Russell Martin is rebuilding his squad for next season in the Championship, and he could lose a number of key players in the aftermath of relegation, including the likes of Tino Livramento, Romeo Lavia, and Che Adams.
Adams is keen on the move as he aims to secure his spot in the Scotland squad for UEFA Euro 2024. If Southampton sell Adams, they would want to bank a fee in the region of £15 million. As such, a number of Premier League sides are taking a keen interest in Adams, including Crystal Palace and Fulham.
The Eagles, for one, never signed another prolific striker after Christian Benteke left and only have two natural strikers at the club in Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta, the latter of whom only managed two goals across the whole season.
With Wilfried Zaha now a free agent and no forward bar Eberechi Eze scoring over five league goals last season, Palace need a new striker. Adams may not get the Palace supporters’ pulses racing, having never hit double figures for Premier League goals. But his numbers put him in a better light than the existing strikers, making him a good value-for-money investment.
As for Fulham, they could yet lose the services of Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has been the subject of interest from Al-Hilal. The Serbian hitman’s head has been turned by the dizzying offer put on the table by the Saudi Pro League giants, and he reportedly wants to leave the club.
There would be doubts over whether Adams could be the answer to both sides’ need for a prolific marksman. But he is clever with his movement and has proven himself to be a handful with his pace and power in the top flight. He is someone capable of finding the net regularly with the right support.
