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Crystal Palace might need to sell to fund new striker before transfer deadline

POOL/AFP via Getty Images
POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Roy Hodgson says Crystal Palace may have to move on some players in order to land another striker this window.

Eberechi Eze is the only arrival to have set the club back a transfer fee so far, but with budgets restricted by coronavirus, sales may need to fund any more spending.

Alexander Sortloth is set to join RB Leipzig for £20million — with the fee to be split separately with Trabzonspor after his loan was cut short — while they would listen to offers for Connor Wickham and Mamadou Sakho among others. Wilfried Zaha could still leave, though there has been no interest in the 27-year-old so far.

“Funds are always of crucial importance, so I don’t think there is a simple answer to that problem,” Hodgson said ahead of Saturday’s trip to Manchester United. “To get the quality of player that I would think we would need would require funds, and whether those funds would be available without someone being sold, I don’t know at the moment.

“We’ve had targets all through the window. I will have to wait and see if the club has the funds to bring those players in if we can persuade those players to come.”

While a striker remains a priority, there could be another addition at the back in Nathaniel Clyne, who has returned to train with his former club in a bid to regain fitness and a contract.

Clyne is a free agent, having been released by Liverpool, and Hodgson is weighing up whether to bring in his former England right-back as injury cover for Nathan Ferguson.

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