Crystal Palace open talks with Bayer Leverkusen over centre-back Odilon Kossounou… with the Eagles keen to sign Ivory Coast star on loan with obligation to buy
Crystal Palace have opened talks with Bayer Leverkusen over a deal to sign defender Odilon Kossounou on loan.
Roy Hodgson has been left frustrated by a lack of transfer activity at Selhurst Park, after losing five senior players during the summer.
And with defensive options being an area in which the veteran coach is wishing to strengthen, the Eagles have made their first steps to signing a new defender.
Palace are looking to sign Kossounou on a season-long loan, with an obligation to buy during next summer’s transfer window.
The centre-back, 22, made 35 appearances for the German side last season.
Palace want a defender as interest grows in Marc Guehi.
Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal are among the clubs that have been monitoring the England international.
This week Hodgson said that the chairman, Steve Parish, and the sporting director, Dougie Freeman, had ‘a bit of work to do’ to bring in signings.
He said: ‘We’ve lost five senior players from last season and brought one in – Jefferson Lerma; he’s good and we’re happy to have him – but there is still that hole of five senior players in the squad, two of whom were two of the real stars of the team.
‘There’s a bit of work for the chairman and sporting director to do between now and the end of August, because the team we put out today was in our opinion, at this moment in time, our best team, but we don’t have the strength behind that team that we had last year.’
Meanwhile, the Eagles are close to completing a deal to sign Brazilian wonderkid Matheus Franca from Flamengo.
The Brazilian midfielder was previously linked with a move to Chelsea, as they were keen for the 19-year-old talent to bolster their midfield options this summer.
The young star was keen to join the Premier League side and his pressing desire to play in England put a number of clubs on high alert, including Palace.
