Canaries strike duo could transform Eagles next year (From News Shopper)

Canaries strike duo could transform Eagles next year

1:01pm Wednesday 18th April 2012 in Football

EAGLES columnist SAM ROSS believes Norwich City’s Simeon Jackson could be worth a transfer punt this summer.

PALACE fans are desperate for the season to be over after last night’s 2-1 defeat at Portsmouth and attention has turned to next season.

Dougie Freedman wants his future squad to be a mixture of Palace youngsters and foreign players.

And while it seems the mission for next year is development once again, the manager has expressed his desire to get Palace where they belong - the Premier League.

It appears the Crystal Palace scouts will be told to look elsewhere than England for potential signings after the disappointing campaigns of Glenn Murray and Jermaine Easter compared to the success of Mile Jedinak and Jonathan Parr.

And with a strict summer budget again, Palace will have to be shrewd if they are to secure a top striker.

The signing of Murray was a good one considering his goal scoring record at Brighton and the fact he was free but he has failed to live up to the hype which surrounded him pre-season.

If Palace are to look at the league below again then there are very few players that would fit the remit required at Selhurst for a bargain fee.

It may even be better to be bold and look at Premier League outcasts whose contracts are running out.

The pick of the strikers from League One with contracts nearing an end are Ched Evans of Sheffield United and Jordan Rhodes of Huddersfield Town.

Both players are in their early 20s and their decision to stay with their current clubs could hinge on whether they secure promotion.

Rhodes has another year left on his current and failure to gain promotion would almost guarantee his departure but there would be a number of clubs, including Premier League ones, after his signature.

Going further down the leagues in the search for signings would seem desperate by some but Jamie Vardy of newly-promoted Fleetwood Town from the Conference to League Two, is a player who would flourish at Palace.

At 24, Vardy has turned professional late but offers a goal scoring record of nearly a goal a game.

In terms of Premier League outcasts willing to take the step down, there are two players at Norwich City - one currently with us on loan, Chris Martin, and Simeon Jackson.

Martin is the favoured choice of the current strikers at Selhurst and with a current price tag of £450,000, he would be a good acquisition.

He would need a quick forward to play off him such as Jackson.

The Canadian international's contract is due to expire this summer but could be extended by a year.

Jackson, a product of Dulwich Hamlet, would ideally suit Palace's style of play and with a price tag of over £1m he would be worth taking a gamble on.

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