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Are Crystal Palace Making The Wrong Decision With David Ozoh?
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- Are Crystal Palace Making The Wrong Decision With David Ozoh?
(REUTERS)
Henry Swain discusses David Ozoh 's future
It feels like David Ozoh has been around forever, yet he's still just 21 years old. After spending the last two seasons on loan with Derby County, the Rams are now interested in a permanent move for the midfielder.
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This weekend, it's been reported by Alan Nixon that Derby are preparing finances for a £5 million bid for Ozoh.
Ozoh has just one year remaining on his current deal with Palace , and that throws up a whole host of issues. He's widely regarded by the fanbase as one of the more exciting youth prospects at the club, but with news coming out that Palace are willing to sell, that same opinion simply cannot be held by the club.
Which begs the question, are Crystal Palace making the wrong decision with David Ozoh?
The contract issue
If Ozoh had two years remaining on his current deal, his immediate future would be much easier to manage. Another season on loan would make sense for his development, and he could return to the club as a more seasoned professional.
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He'd also only be 22 next Summer, so there would be no rush for him to settle into the first team. Of course, whether or not Pierre Sage and Crystal Palace as a club genuinely believe that Ozoh is good enough to play in the first team is another question.
If he was willing to sign a new deal and return to the Championship on loan, Palace would be in a much stronger position, and one where the pressure of making this decision is delayed until he's played another full season of Championship football.
Alternatively, Palace could allow him to leave with a fee agreed for next Summer, and if Derby choose not to activate it he would return to the club as a free agent and effectively have his own decision to make.
There's an argument to make that selling academy players for what is pure profit should be part of the model, and a sign of the club's Category One status working well. With Danny Imray, Palace have done just that. Selling a player who, at 23, was unlikely to break into the first team considering the players blocking his path whilst making good money back.
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Is Ozoh actually good enough for Palace?
It's hard to give a definitive answer, as previously mentioned he is still very young. The glimpses we've seen of him over pre-season and his performances at times for Derby last season suggest that he certainly could become a Premier League player at some point.
Physically, Ozoh is imposing, and is a great ball-winner. At times, he comes across slightly in tight areas, but the technical ability is also clear to see.
He had a strong campaign last season, and recorded some impressive numbers during his time at Pride Park. Averaging 89.66% accuracy in his passing across the entire Championship season, this compares well to some of the league's best players.
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In fact, Ozoh ranked fourth in the league for pass accuracy, above the likes of Hayden Hackney and Imran Louza . Adam Wharton 's average across the Premier League season last year was 79%.
The question therefore arises, could Ozoh actually play a role for Palace this season?
At this current moment in time, Palace are yet to bring in any midfielders to strengthen the depth. Daichi Kamada will be lost to the Asian Cup in Winter, along with Tomiyasu .
With European football on the cards once again, there could be space for Ozoh to step in across the domestic cup competitions as Palace face another demanding season.
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Consistent minutes in the Championship would undoubtedly be better for his development than occasional appearances for Palace, but once again the issue of his contract comes back to the fore.
Judging from the reports, Palace would be willing to sell, which raises questions over how highly Ozoh is rated internally by the people that make the decisions.
This is a story which is likely to cause a stir amongst the fanbase, and one which could rumble on deep into the window.
