Middlesbrough‘s Rav Van Den Berg is a winter transfer window target for Crystal Palace according to reports.
The 20-year-old has played eight times so far for Michael Carrick’s side, missing a month-long period between August and late September through injury and was last involved in their draw with Norwich City at the end of October.
Eagles Targeting Move
According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Crystal Palace are looking to add a defender to their squad over the January transfer window and have identified Van Den Berg as an ideal candidate.
Oliver Glasner’s side have fallen well short of their pre-season expectations and are in 18th place after 11 games in the Premier League. Their best fortunes have come in the EFL Cup, reaching the quarter-final stage.
Whilst the table makes for grim reading in South London, their defensive record has been solid with only 15 goals conceded, the second lowest of any side in the bottom half of the top flight.
Questions around Palace defenders’ futures at Selhurst Park arose in the summer with the constant links between Marc Guehi and Newcastle United, but the deal for the England international fell through before the deadline.
Boro have the Dutchman under contract until 2027 but Palace amongst other clubs have been tracking the central defenders over recent months.
Writer’s View
It is a very common occurrence for Premier League sides to come and try to poach the best talents in the Championship. Van Den Berg has been a big part of Middlesbrough’s side since joining the club and with The Riverside club unlikely to make an automatic promotion bid and the strength of their play-off rivals being immense, the 20-year-old may opt to make the jump to the top flight now. Palace are no stranger to recruiting some of the best talents in the division, signing Blackburn Rovers‘ Adam Wharton in the previous January window.
