Crystal Palace Opinion: Why the Eagles should go for Jerdy Schouten?

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Crystal Palace have been scouting Eredivisie this summer and are planning to make a move for Excelsior midfielder Jerdy Schouten.

Jerdy Schouten, 22, had a fantastic season in the midfield but couldn’t prevent Excelsior’s relegation. The 22-year-old’s performances have caught the attention of a number of Eredivisie clubs, but he favours a move to England, the report adds.

That should give Crystal Palace the edge over other interested clubs and they must go all out to sign Jerdy Schouten from Excelsior.

The Eagles are normally fighting to keep their players, having already lost Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Manchester United.

Roy Hodgson needs to retain the core of his squad, especially talismanic forward Wilfried Zaha, in order to challenge for a top-half finish next term.

The south London outfit struggled for goals once again and while a bonafide goalscorer has to be at the top of Hodgson’s summer wishlist, the real problem looks to be in midfield.

Luka Milivojevic is not the player you expect to be creative and score goals, yet the skipper led from the front with 12 goals and two assists, which is a remarkable return from a defensive midfielder.

Cheikhou Kouyate is inconsistent, while James McArthur isn’t renowned for his ability to carve open defences. Max Meyer was snapped up on a free transfer from Schalke last summer to add balance to Hodgson’s starting XI, but barring a couple of impressive displays he has failed to live up to the expectations.

Adding someone like Jerdy Schouten could prove beneficial for the Eagles. He was arguably one of Excelsior’s best players this past season despite the fact that the club got relegated from the Eredivisie.

Predominantly a central midfielder, Schouten is also capable of playing in a box-to-box role on the right and left in the midfield.

Noted for his fluent passing, technical abilities on the ball and uncompromised work-rate, the 22-year-old is not only a tireless worker in central midfield but he is also adept at cutting out opposition attacks.

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All in all, the Dutchman is very much capable of shouldering both attacking and defensive responsibilities and a player of his calibre certainly provides cover in multiple areas of the pitch.

Schouten is only 22 and has a massive potential to develop into a star midfielder in the future.

Verdict

Crystal Palace need an authoritative box-to-box midfielder ahead of the new campaign and that’s why a move for Jerdy Schouten makes a lot of sense.