One winner and loser as Cheikhou Kouyate joins Crystal Palace from West Ham

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On Wednesday, Crystal Palace completed the signing of central midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate from West Ham United for a fee reported to be around £9.5 million, in addition to £1.5 million in add-ons.

Although the acquisition may have been slightly overshadowed by Thursday’s announcement of German midfielder Max Meyer, Kouyate may prove to be a more valuable addition to the squad in the short term.

Crystal Palace’s attacking players will benefit from the increased defensive fortitude Kouyate provides, while the Senegalese international’s former club will suffer after losing a mainstay in their starting line-up.

Winner: Crystal Palace’s attacking talents

After the departure of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Yohan Cabaye, Palace were left hopelessly thin in the central midfield department. In order to fully unleash the Eagles’ attacking talents, the squad must have the necessary defensive midfield players to facilitate more free-flowing, forward play.

Now that Palace have the services of a quality defensive midfielder with Champions League experience and over 145 Premier League appearances, figures such as Wilfried Zaha, Andros Townsend, and even Max Meyer can rejoice.

The solidity of Kouyate will give the creative talents of SE25 a chance to express themselves fully while knowing Crystal Palace will be well-covered at the back.

Loser: West Ham United

There can be no doubting that Cheikhou Kouyate was integral to West Ham United during his years in east London.

Just last season, Kouyate played in 33 league matches for the Hammers, missing the other five through injury.

A starter in 32 of those games, Kouyate was clearly a vital cog at the London Stadium and was practically an ever-present.

Although West Ham have invested heavily during the summer and signed fellow central midfielder Jack Wilshere, it will still come as a blow to lose a player who featured so heavily during their last campaign.