Although he isn’t that well known a name on English shores, Hakon Arnar Haraldsson is certainly making waves for Lille in Ligue Un.
The 21-year-old, valued at just €9m by transfermarkt, is being courted by Crystal Palace according to Football Transfers.
They would appear to be facing stiff competition to land the midfielder with Tottenham also having sent scouts to watch the youngster, who is considered to be the long-term replacement for Heung-min Son.
It’s Palace that appear to be the front runners, however, and that will boost Oliver Glasner as pressure builds on the Austrian after an horrendous run of results.
After seven Premier League games, the Eagles are third from bottom of the English top-flight and without a win to their name.
Their next five league matches are against Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Fulham and Aston Villa, and if Glasner hasn’t managed to pull them out of their spiral, the next international break might be an opportune time to sever relations with him.
That would give any new man in charge roughly six weeks before the transfer window opens in January to assess the relative merits of the squad, and still perhaps bring in Haraldsson who earns just £16,000 per week at Lille (Capology).
Given the profile of some Palace players – Guehi, Eze etc. – it’s a wonder that the Selhurst Park outfit find themselves in their current predicament.
It mirrors the final weeks of Patrick Vieira and Roy Hodgson’s tenures at the club and points the finger squarely at the player squad.
Whether Glasner has the clout to be able to go to chairman, Steve Parish, and demand a root and branch clear out similar to that which Chelsea have undertaken recently is unlikely, but if he falls on his sword as his predecessors have done, questions need to be asked.
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