An Eagle To Save The Foxes? – Why Crystal Palace’s Andros Townsend Would Be Perfect For Leicester City
Andros Townsend is the kind of utility player every mid-table Premier League club would want to own for a season or two and then dispose off in order to promote a newer and better player, and it seems Leicester City is the latest outfit to join this merry-go-round. The Foxes have made a £27million bid for Crystal Palace star, which in turn could start a domino effect that could see Alexis Sanchez land at Manchester City, with Riyad Mahrez joining Arsenal. Signing Townsend would help Craig Shakespeare somewhat soften the blow.
Townsend was a product of the Spurs academy, where he spent six years and scored 3 goals in 50 appearances. He was loaned out to nine different clubs during this time, and his performances ranged from impressive to disappointing. He was sold to Newcastle United in 2016 and he scored four times in 14 games as the Tynesiders were relegated to the Championship. Crystal Palace lapped him up at the start of last season, and he had a good run with the Londoners, netting 3 times in 36 matches and forming a threatening partnership up front with Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke.
A Utility Winger
Capable of playing on any wing, Townsend has a box of tricks and is a really hard-working player. He scored 3 goals for the Eagles last season and is an England international as well. He would click well in a setup that would also include the likes of Okazaki, and they would complement each other well. At one point of his career, Townsend was expected to scale great heights in the world footballing circuit but has since fallen flat of expectations and has had to make do with clubs of lower pedigree. He is, however, still a player to be reckoned with given his pace, physicality and his never-ending stamina.
Moreover, the aforementioned departure of Mahrez would leave a gaping hole in the Leicester setup, which would be compensated to an extent by the arrival of the former Tottenham man. The Foxes will have to move fast if they want to secure his services though, as the 26-year-old is wanted by Stoke City as well, who are keeping their tabs on him. While the Englishman is not as good on the ball as the Mahrez, he definitely has some attributes which could go a long way in determining where Leicester end up this season.