Meet the £13m Crystal Palace target who could be unplayable with Khalaili

Crystal Palace are starting to bring it all together ahead of the new Premier League season, but there’s no question that Marco Rose’s side are still a work in progress.

The Eagles might not have spent all that much, but they have done some shrerwd business. Dynamic wide defenders, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Oscar Mingueza, have added some much-needed depth, while Dwight McNeil has finally earned his move to Selhurst Park, with Brennan Johnson sent toward Everton.

However, more business is needed. Anan Khalaili might be on the cusp of a transfer to south London, but it looks like that could spell the end of Daniel Munoz‘s trophy-filled time at the club.

Why Palace want to replace Munoz with Khalaili

To some, Munoz is “one of the best right-wing-backs in the Premier League“. For Oliver Glasner, he had been a first-class addition, but Crystal Palace may be shifting toward more conventional tactical parameters now, and Khalaili could prove a big hit in that regard.

Following the collapse of his proposed transfer to Inter Milan last month, a £21m fee has been agreed to sign the 22-year-old, who, like Munoz, is positionally fluid, capable of starring in a more advanced role.

But he’s arguably more complete. In the Champions League last season, no player won more tackles than Khalaili’s 34, and Union Saint-Gilloise were dumped out after the group phase.

He’s a natural technician, has developed that side of his game over the past several years. It could a statement signing for Eagles fans to look back on in the years to come, but Rose and co still need to beef Palace up with a more advanced creative signing.

Crystal Palace in talks to sign dream Khalaili partner

Crystal Palace are transitioning, shifting away from the fundamentals established under Glasner. Rose, an aggressive tactician, brings a different brand of football, and he does indeed need some more creativity.

Well, according to Sport BILD, Crystal Palace are in discussions with Eintracht Frankfurt over a possible move for playmaker Fares Chaibi, with the word on the street that a formal offer could be forthcoming. It’s been suggested that a €15m (£13m) offer could be enough to get the job done, making this quite the bargain for Rose’s new outfit.

The 23-year-old Algerian is something of an assist king. A talented attacking midfielder, he grew into skin for Frankfurt last season, playing down either flank – though he has also played plenty in the middle as something of a creative anchor.

After three years in the Bundesliga, Chaibi appears ready for a switch to the Premier League. He could lift a number of his potential Palace teammates, but Khalaili in particular could benefit, latching onto sharp, surgical passes with overlapping runs down the right.

Chaibi has a natural tendency to drift out, so this could be a partnership to keep a close eye on, with the Algeria international hailed as a “simply magical” prospect by talent scout Jacek Kulig as he broke onto the senior stage with Toulouse in France.

Chaibi is a natural creator, and that’s what Palace need heading into the Rose era. The German is forward-thinking and fast-paced from a tactical standpoint. He will need technicians such as Chaibi and Khalaili to unlock defences and ferry the ball into promising positions, doing so sharply.

In the Belgian Pro League last season, Khalaili may well have spent more time in the attacking half than the defensive side of the field. Chaibi could have a field day. The duo may find that Palace won’t have it all their own way in the Premier League, but it is such a connection which could help lift Rose’s project off the ground.

Crystal Palace are continuing to sign shrewdly. This is a squad filled with winners, and even after a number of transfer-market setbacks, they could hit the jackpot on shrewd signings such as these.