Why this £10m signing by Crystal Palace on deadline day would not be a panic buy as many suggest

Are Crystal Palace doing the right thing by targeting a last-minute move for this Championship striker?

Crystal Palace are reportedly interested in a last-minute deadline day move for Preston striker Jordan Hugill. Roy Hodgson is understandably keen on boosting his attack force and has identified Hugill as a potential target. The Championship outfit are in talks with Palace as they try to work out a deal and it will be interesting to see if Palace pay Preston’s £10m asking price and manage to complete a deal for him after missing out on quite a few targets.

Hugill is tied down to Deepdale until 2019, making this the ideal opportunity for Palace to sign him. He has smashed 10 goals in 28 appearances for Preston and could prove to be quite a valuable addition to the Palace squad. In fact, the 25-year-old was even left out of Preston’s team for their game against Nottingham Forest which they eventually won. That has led to further speculation that the promising forward could well be on his way to Selhurst Park as Hodgson is scrambling to put together a sudden deal.

Having risen to this level from playing non-league football, Palace’s interest in him will prove to be an immensely big deal. With his contract set to expire next year, Hugill is likely to be tempted to join the Eagles, who have shown remarkable improvement under Hodgson’s watchful eyes. Currently sitting at 12th spot, Palace are currently only 3 points clear of the relegation zone and to ensure they are able to preserve their top-flight status and possibly secure a higher-placed finish, the club could use a player like Hugill.

While he does seem like a good enough prospect, there is an underlying suggestion that perhaps Palace are settling for Hugill since they lost out on signing Fiorentina striker Khouma Babacar. Hence, Hugill’s potential deal could be viewed as a ‘panic buy’ by some people but at the end of the day, Hodgson is doing what he has to do and that is important. There is most certainly a need for a striker in Palace’s squad and with the window set to slam shut, it does not matter if it is a panic buy or not. As long as Hodgson manages to land a striker, it will be a step in the right direction.

Of course, Babacar may have been a more exciting signing but Hugill boasts of tremendous potential as well and he could truly prove to be a successful player under the right guidance. Considering how Hodgson has inspired Palace to do better, there is no reason why he cannot push Hugill to reach his full potential at Selhurst Park.

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