Roy Hodgson may not be the star-studded appointment that the Crystal Palace supporters were expecting following the sacking of Patrick Vieira back in March, however he should guarantee some stability at the club as they looked like they were heading towards a relegation battle if their poor form had continued under the Frenchman.
With a mid-table finish certainly realistic during 2023/24, Hodgson will need to delve into the transfer market and make some signings, as Jefferson Lerma remains the only player to have arrived at the club this summer and this inactivity will surely be agitating the Selhurst Park faithful.
They have been linked with a move for Barcelona defender Sergino Dest according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo alongside fellow Premier League club Fulham, and he could be available for a bargain price of just £17m this summer.
AC Milan had the chance to make his loan signing a permanent one, however, they didn’t exercise their option, and he still remains a Barcelona player and Hodgson will need to act swiftly if he wants to bolster his defensive options ahead of next term.
Could Crystal Palace sign Sergino Dest?
The 22-year-old made just 14 appearances for the Italian side last term, suffering from a variety of injury issues during his temporary spell in Milan, and it appears as though Barcelona are ready to offload him this summer.
This should give Palace the incentive to strike and Hodgson could even ditch Nathaniel Clyne this summer as he has just one year left on his contract and the club could perhaps try and move him on for a fee during the window.
Since embarking on his second spell with Palace back in 2020, Clyne has made 63 appearances across all competitions, and he struggled last term, ranking in a lowly 19th place across the whole Palace squad for overall Sofascore rating, along with finishing the season ranked ninth for tackles per game and 13th for successful dribbles per game, indicating that he wasn’t exactly a positive influence in the side.
Despite struggling last term, Dest still managed to rank in the top 11% for successful take ons per 90 (1.38) and top 13% for tackles per 90 (2.77) across the top five European leagues, suggesting that even though he was far from consistent in terms of appearances, he was still able to take on opposition players with ease and win the ball back regularly.
The American also possesses a much greater attacking threat than Clyne, despite playing fewer matches. Across domestic games last season, Dest registered more shot-creating-actions per 90 (three to 0.99) and had a higher successful take on percentage (44.4% to 41.7%) than Clyne and this should be all the incentive Hodgson needs to make his move for the 22-year-old.
Once lauded as a “special talent” by journalist Ives Galacrep, the youngster could command a place in the Palace back line for the foreseeable future should he move to London and for a fee of just £17m, it could turn into a bargain, that’s for sure.
