Crystal Palace are in talks with Stuttgart midfielder Naouirou Ahamada over a potential move for the 20-year-old this January after missing out on primary target Conor Gallagher.
The Eagles were keen to reunite with Gallagher, who enjoyed a strong spell on loan at Selhurst Park last season, but Chelsea are minded to keep their academy graduate until at least the end of the season. The Englishman has started each of Graham Potter’s last two games and impressed against Liverpool in their goalless draw at Anfield.
It has left Palace looking for alternatives, with Patrick Vieira desperate to add midfield reinforcements before the January window slams shut, and they have turned their attention to box-to-box midfielder Ahamada as an alternative.
Ahamada has started every single one of Stuttgart’s Bundesliga games so far this season, grabbing two goals in the process and impressing plenty across European football.
Usually paired alongside the more defensively-minded Atakan Karazor in his current side’s midfield, he is given free reign to move forwards to support the attack, something that would likely be replicated at Selhurst Park.
Vieira has already made his desire for reinforcements clear, claiming earlier in the transfer window that “We have identified the names of those players that we wanted, Now everything is in the hands of the football club to try and make it happen.”
Currently 12th in the Premier League, Palace have won just once in their last five games, but managed draws against high-flying Manchester United and Newcastle United in their last two outings, and are showing shoots of progress under Patrick Vieira’s tutelage.
