Crystal Palace are interested in a summer deal to bring Norwich City star Andrew Omobamidele to the Premier League, according to reports.
Who is Andrew Omobamidele?
Omobamidele is a centre-back who currently plays his football at Carrow Road having worked his way up through the various youth ranks to graduate from the academy in 2021 and become a regular feature of the first-team, clocking up a total of 51 senior appearances to date.
The Republic of Ireland international still has another three years remaining on his contract with David Wagner’s side, but having impressed during his 27 Championship starts last season, he’s bound to attract attention this window.
The Canaries, however, collectively had a disappointing campaign finishing 13th and quite some way outside of the top six, so they could be looking to cash in on some of their most prized assets ahead of a squad rebuild, and should the 20-year-old depart, he’s got an admirer in Roy Hodgson at Selhurst Park.
Are Crystal Palace signing Omobamidele?
According to The Telegraph (via Football League World), Crystal Palace are “interested” in Omobamidele ahead of the 2023/24 term. The Eagles have the defender firmly “on their radar” and the report states that a fee of £20m is likely to be “enough to get a deal done”. Norwich’s former sporting director Stuart Webber publicly admitted that there is a “big possibility” that the young talent will leave.
Where would Omobamidele fit in under Hodgson?
Crystal Palace are likely to be in need of reinforcements in the centre-back position this summer with Marc Guehi being watched by Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United enquiring about Joachim Andersen, so should one or both of the duo depart, Omobamidele could be the ideal replacement for Hodgson.
The Leixlip native averaged 2.7 clearances and 1.9 aerial wins per second-tier game last season, via WhoScored. Not only is he a rock at the heart of the backline but he also loves to try and push his team further up the pitch, ranking in the 88th percentile for most progressive carries by central defenders.
Norwich’s “dominant” colossus, as lauded by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also shares the same agent, Elite Project Group Ltd, as Malcolm Ebiowei, so this existing connection that his representative has to the club could potentially give them a small advantage should they try and attempt to get a deal wrapped up in the weeks and months ahead.
