Crystal Palace: Eagles could sign ‘incredible’ Franca partner

Crystal Palace have a clear recruitment strategy…

The purchase of 19-year-old wonderkid Matheus Franca on a five-year deal from Flamengo for £26m is another clear step in the direction that Crystal Palace wants to go.

Upon the Brazilian’s arrival, Palace Chairman Steve Parish said: “Matheus is a young and exciting player whose impressive early progress we have followed with keen interest, and we are delighted to welcome him to the club.

“Palace have a long history of attacking players with skill, pace, and tenacity, and I am sure Matheus will be another popular addition to the nucleus of this young and entertaining squad, packed full of international talent and potential, that we are building here in south London.”

Parish’s comments are indicative of the club’s transfer strategy, which has been summed up by The Atheltic’s Matt Woosnam as ‘buy players young, develop, sell for a profit at their peak’, which the club intends to implement on a cyclical basis as their model of sustainability.

Following Franca, and on the pretence of this thought process, the Eagles are reportedly chasing Matheus Nascimento.

Who do Crystal Palace want to sign?

According to reports, Palace and Nottingham Forest are interested in signing the Botafogo striker in a £15m deal.

The forward previously stalled on a move and was spotted with Palace officials, but Forest are said to be ‘leading the race’ as their owner Evangelos Marinakis is planning to loan him straight to Olympiacos, as he also owns the Greek side.

What are Matheus Nascimento’s strengths?

The 6-foot marksman has been at Botafogo since the age of 11, and he swiftly established himself as one of the most promising prospects within the club’s academy, having scored over 150 goals.

Tiano Gomes, general manager of Botafogo’s academy labelled the player as a “high-potential athlete” and an “asset.”

As a result, Nascimento signed his first professional contract in June 2020, and in September of that year, he made his professional senior debut aged just 16 years and 6 months.

In total, the South American, who has been described as “incredible” by scout Jacek Kulig, has accumulated 80 appearances for Botafogo, scoring 11 times.

His signing would be yet another exciting addition to Palace, whose attack is taking shape following Wilfried Zaha’s inevitable departure.

Due to a lack of options, Nascimento could find instantly involved in the first-team outlay, with Jean-Philippe Mateta and Odsonne Edouard not exactly the most prolific strikers.

Suspect depth and unproductive senior players, could see Franca awarded with a regular role in his first season in English football.

Kulig feels that the playmaker is “one of the most exciting teenagers in Brazil” and his potency could be hugely beneficial for Palace. In 59 appearances for Flamengo, he notched 19 goals and those in his homeland as he is destined for unadulterated greatness.

Fabio Matias, his former coach, is leading this change of thought and said: “He has many important aspects to his game. In addition to technical and tactical ability, he has a very good understanding of the game. That makes him stand out because he interprets spaces well.”

With the confirmation of Olise’s commitment to the south London outfit on a four-year deal, the timeless brilliance of Eberechi Eze, and the glimmering potential of Franca, Nascimento could join this eye-catching wave of excitement to form an exciting new combination in attack.