According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, Crystal Palace are set to swoop in and snatch Malcolm Ebiowei from Derby County.
Derby County’s relegation to League One leaves them open to their best young players being cherrypicked by bigger sides.
That is what is happening with 18-year-old Ebiowei who is out of contract in the summer.
Ebiowe’s breakthrough season with the Rams
Ebiowei made the breakthrough this season with Derby County, turning in a number of assured performances.
However, his football career saw him released on a free transfer by Premier League big guns Arsenal in February 2020.
That release saw the young attacker move north of the border to Scotland with champions Rangers. He left Rangers’ reserves for Derby County last September.
After seven goals and an assist in the Under-18 Premier League, Ebiowei made five appearances in the Premier League 2 competition for the Rams.
The upshot of this progression was promotion to the first team and their battle against relegation in this season’s Championship.
Since making his Championship debut, he has gone on to make 14 appearances for Wayne Rooney’s side, catching the eye with the consistency of his performances.
Palace back for second bite says Nixon
Alan Nixon says that Crystal Palace are back in for Ebiowei and this comes after Patrick Viera’s side had been previously linked.
Nixon writes that “Palace have made a decisive move” and that Palace boss Viera is “teeing up a second swoop” for the young Rams star.
If Crystal Palace are successful in landing Ebiowe, he will join Derby County teammate Luke Plange at Selhurst Park – Palace landing Plange in January.
Thoughts…
It is understandable that things will be different at Derby County next season after their relegation to League One.
A different division leads to different priorities for any side. They will experience some level of personnel changes – relegation brings that.
Relegation also means that players coming to the end of their contracts are less likely to take up renewed offers.
Factor in interest from a Premier League side like Crystal Palace – who aren’t afraid to blood young players – and it is easy to see why Ebiowei could be on the move.
