The Athletic’s Dominic Fifield has confirmed that Crystal Palace should announce the signing of Nathan Ferguson today.
What’s the word, then?
Well, Fifield states that the 19-year-old full-back’s arrival should be confirmed on Thursday in a deal which could potentially rise to £11m.
Ferguson underwent a medical in London on Wednesday ahead of completing the formalities of the transfer, as the south Londoners look to have finally landed a replacement for Aaron Wan-Bissaka who joined Manchester United in a deal worth £50m back in the summer.
Fifield adds that Roy Hodgson is set to talk to the media ahead of Saturday’s game against Sheffield United, by which time the club hope to announce the teenager’s arrival at Selhurst Park.
Great signing
If the deal does eventually cost the Eagles £11m, then it is a shrewd piece of business in replacing Wan-Bissaka for a fraction of the fee earned from his sale.
Ferguson is able to play at right-back and left-back, having made 12 appearances on the left of defence this term while also featuring nine times on the right.
Furthermore, with Ferguson being three years younger than 22-year-old Wan-Bissaka, this deal represents an excellent piece of business from Palace in snapping up a precocious young talent who was wanted by sides around Europe, and one who also has bundles of time on his side to improve on his already impressive level of quality.
It also helps to add depth in positions that are seriously thin right now, as Joel Ward and Patrick van Aanholt are Hodgson’s only natural options at right and left-back respectively.
Life after football: Do you know what all of these former players did next?
Having so far only managed to land Cenk Tosun on loan from Everton this month, Fifield’s revelation that Ferguson should be announced today will presumably be music to Crystal Palace fans’ ears, as a problematic department of the squad has been bolstered with a fresh face.
In other news, these Crystal Palace fans have reacted to a club announcement that one supporter has “been waiting a long time for”…
