According to Russian outlet Championat, Crystal Palace are preparing to make an offer of €15 million for Fedor Chalov. The report further states that the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Monaco, Valencia and Lazio, amongst others, have previously held an interest in the CSKA Moscow striker. However, the Eagles now look to be in pole position to secure the 21-year-old’s services.
It is unsurprising that the young striker is attracting such attention. The two-cap Russia international has begun the new campaign in fine form, and is already off the mark in the Premier Liga.
This is a continuation of the scintillating form Chalov produced last season. The youngster racked up 17 goals and seven assists in 37 outings for CSKA Moscow.
Chalov is clearly a player with huge potential. He is, of course, untested in the Premier League, but he showed his quality in the Champions League last season. Chalov was amongst the scorers as CSKA Moscow secured a famous victory over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
It would be worthwhile for a Premier League club to take a gamble on Chalov. For the Eagles, though, it would be an even greater risk given their desperation for a reliable new goalscorer. With Michy Batshuayi having left Selhurst Park, Roy Hodgson has found himself without a consistently prolific centre-forward.
Due to this, Chalov would be assuming a great deal of responsibility by moving to the south London club. However, his record in Russia suggests that he’s ready to take on such a burden.