[ad_pod ]
According to The Daily Star, Crystal Palace are one of a number of clubs looking at signing Newcastle’s Mohamed Diame, whose contract at St James’ Park expires in the summer. Surely Palace are looking at completely the wrong type of number 10 though?
What’s the word?
Well, The Daily Star reports that the Eagles are joined by their bitter rivals Brighton; Turkish clubs Galatasaray and Besiktas; as well as unnamed clubs from Spain and Italy in their interest in the 31-year-old.
Diame’s Magpies minutes have dried up this season perhaps partly due to an unusual clause in his current deal that, should the Senegalese start three more games this campaign, will automatically trigger a 12-month extension, as well as the fine form of Isaac Hayden and Sean Longstaff.
The former Hull man has made 24 appearances for Rafa Benitez’s side this term, without scoring or assisting once – Palace might need some added impetus in their attack but Diame shouldn’t be the man Roy Hodgson and co turn to in the summer, regardless of whether he comes without having commanded a transfer fee.
Not your number 10
The 35-cap international might have the coveted number 10 shirt on Tyneside but his numbers this season certainly haven’t made him worthy of it. Palace are in dire need of a creator – this was evident in their loss to the Seagulls at the weekend – and Diame clearly doesn’t fit the bill.
Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…
If Hodgson is looking for a driving force from midfield, he already has that in the resurgent Jeffrey Schlupp – the Ghanaian has been excellent since his conversion from a left-back to an all-action central midfielder this term.
The only positive that would be taken from this deal is that signing Diame wouldn’t cost Palace a penny and, if their dealings in recent windows are anything to go by, that may be why signing the ageing midfielder is attractive to the Eagles.
Certainly though, signing Diame would be a strange one considering the recent additions of Max Meyer and Cheikhou Kouyate – one struggles to envisage the Newcastle man getting a look in for the starting XI at Selhurst Park.