New Crystal Palace manager Frank de Boer doesn’t have a massive rebuilding job to do over the summer, however, he may be keen to add some quality to his side to avoid another relegation battle. Although they finished in fifteenth last season, at one point they looked doomed and at one stage had the worst record of four divisions for 2016, picking up less than a point per game.
There is plenty of strength in their midfield with Wilfried Zaha, Yohan Cabaye, James McArthur and Andros Townsend all contributing to the cause a decent amount of goals and maybe it’s not the midfield that needs to be strengthened.
Wilfried Zaha, who has recently been linked with a move to both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, handed Palace a boost by signing a new contract at the end of the season. He was a stand-out from midfield with 7 goals, 9 assists and 7 clean sheets. Incredibly, his value at the beginning of the season was just 2M and he weighed in with a total of 52 points. His price/performance return was an impressive 27.0 and it’s highly unlikely that he will be available for 2M for the start of the 2017/18 season.
Yohan Cabaye’s contribution was solid, if not spectacular. He scored 4 goals, assisted 3 and had 6 clean sheets in 25 starts. He doesn’t come cheap though at 7M and his price/performance ratio at the end of the season was 3.9. The 31-tear-old former Newcastle midfielder is entering the last year of his current contract and it’s rumoured a return home is on the cards for the popular Frenchman.
Scottish international midfielder James McCarthur is a steadying influence in midfield and will be pleased with his return of 5 goals, 3 assists and 6 clean sheets in his 24 starts. His points total was 33 and valued at just 4M, his price/performance ratio after 38 matches in the Premier League was a reasonable 8.8.
Another player signed from Newcastle is highly-rated Andros Townsend. He arrived at Selhurst Park in 2016 for a fee in the region of 13M and had a decent season. He scored 3 goals last season and will be keen to improve on that figure in the 2017!8 season but with 4 assists and 7 clean sheets, his points total was a respectable 30. Given that his value was just 2.5M, his price/performance ratio was 12.8.
Both Matthew Flamini and Joe Ledley have now left the club, but their contribution last season was minimal, so de Boer may see midfield as a position that needs some cover, rather than a total overhaul.
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