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Who is the £16m-rated 24-year old Crystal Palace target? Everything You Need To Know

Scout Report – Ibrahim Amadou

Crystal Palace are reportedly interested in a £16million January deal to sign Lille defender Ibrahim Amadou. The Eagles were interested in him last year as well but the deal did not go through back then. Now, however, things have changed and with Roy Hodgson at the helm of things, it will be interesting to see if they can land their man. The club has been plagued with injuries lately and although they are temporarily out of relegation danger, they will need reinforcements to truly secure their top-flight status.

Amadou seems like an exciting candidate for the same and lets take a closer look at the player’s profile.

History

Born in 1993 in Douala, Cameroon, Amadou embarked on his tryst with football at the age of 10 and joined youth side Cheminots de l’Ouest. He spent only a year there and then joined RC Levallois. Eventually, his performances attracted AS Nancy and they signed him for their youth academy, and he played there for the next 5 years. His performances were quite impressive and that even prompted the club to let him make his Ligue 2 debut in 2013.

However, in 2015, he made the decision to join Lille and gradually managed to make a name for himself at the French club. He has made 20 appearances across all competitions for them this season and even provided a goal in Coupe de France game.

Amadou may be Cameroonian but he was raised in France. He is a youth international for France and was also approached by Cameroon to play for them. But he rejected that and has made a couple of appearances for the French U19 side.

Playing Style

Amadou is a central defender by trade but he can also play as a defensive midfielder and as a central midfielder, which is quite impressive. He has made 17 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille this season and has been deployed in all 3 of those roles so far. As far as his defensive skills go, Amadou uses his physical strength to his best ability and is often successful at making clearances and tackles. He has picked up 4 yellow cards thus far, so discipline might prove to be an issue. That said, he seems quite decent in terms of aerial prowess and is well-versed with the basics as well.

Amadou’s Future

If Palace do make a move for him and sign him, it is likely to be a step in the right direction. Hodgson’s resources are dwindling at the club and the injury to Scott Dann against Manchester City means that he sits the rest of the season out. Now, Mamadou Sakho has already been injured for quite some time and a centre-back like Amadou does seem like the need of the hour. His versatility is likely to help him find a spot even when all the players are fit and moving to the Premier League will definitely be a big opportunity for the 24-year-old.