Arnaut Danjuma is hoping for a move back to the Premier League this summer, with Crystal Palace among his potential suitors, according to Jack Rosser of The Sun.
The London club will need to find a way to replace the impact of Michael Olise after the winger suffered an injury blow that will see him miss the start of the Premier League season.
Crystal Palace transfer news – will they sign Arnaut Danjuma?
With Danjuma keen on a move back to the Premier League, a move to Crystal Palace could be on the cards this summer.
The Villarreal winger spent the second half of last season on loan at Tottenham Hotspur, but struggled to ever really gain an influential role in a struggling side, playing just 162 minutes in the league – the equivalent of just under two games.
As per Rosser, Villarreal want £25m for Danjuma this summer, but are open to another loan move in which could be positive news for Palace.
Would Arnaut Danjuma replicate Olise’s quality?
Without Olise, Palace are undoubtedly a worse side. Last season, the Frenchman was involved in 13 goals for the London side, with 11 assists to his name.
Replacing that quality will be no easy task at the start of the season, but Palace will be left with no choice after his recent injury. And that’s where Danjuma could come in.
Although he struggled to make the desired impact at Spurs, the 26-year-old has previously shone in England for Bournemouth, where he scored 15 times in the Championship, earning a move to Villarreal.
It was his debut season in Spain when Danjuma really burst into life, scoring 16 goals in all competitions, including six in the Champions League as the Yellow Submarine reached the semi-final stage.
So, the quality is certainly there, it’s just about unlocking it. It could be said that around more unorthodox players such as Eberechi Eze, the winger could rediscover his best form.
When compared, both Danjuma and Olise are glaringly similar at their best when it comes to output. The reported Palace target completed more take-ons per 90 at his best for Villarreal in his debut season, whilst also enjoying a better take-on success percentage.
So, the ability to take players out of games in one-on-one situations that Roy Hodgson would lose without Olise can be gained by bringing Danjuma to Selhurst Park this summer.
In the Netherlands winger, you wouldn’t be getting a player who assists as often as his French counterpart, but you would be getting a more natural goalscorer. And, given that Palace’s top scorer last season was Eze with ten goals, another player who knows where the back of the net is wouldn’t go amiss.
Speaking on Danjuma’s quality, Kevin Phillips told Football Insider back in 2022: “On his day he is a nightmare for defenders. He can create and score goals. He can hurt any defence with his pace and directness.
“I know it was in the Championship but he’s proved he can perform in this country. I think he’d be available for reasonable money as well. I don’t think he’d cost the world.
“He is a player who can hurt any defence on his day. He’s shown that countless times. Players like him are a rarity in this day and age.”
With that said, it is clear that, if Palace do sign Danjuma, they’d be getting themselves a solution to their enforced Olise absence.
