Crystal Palace looking to sign Felipe Augusto

Crystal Palace are showing interest in Brazilian forward Felipe Augusto from Trabzonspor, who could replace Jean-Philippe Mateta.

According to Sports Boom, Felipe Augusto is a target for Crystal Palace ahead of the summer. The Brazilian forward, standing at 1.87m tall, is known for his explosiveness in the final third as well as his physical attributes, which make him seem like the ideal replacement for Jean-Philippe Mateta.

Crystal Palace did well in the January transfer window as they were very close to losing star forward Jean-Philippe Mateta. The Frenchman failed with a move to AC Milan, who called off the transfer after abnormalities in the striker’s medical tests.

Palace did not wait to bank on Mateta to come firing back from his fitness issues, but instead signed Jørgen Strand Larsen in a sizeable deal from Wolves. The Norwegian has settled in well, but Mateta is expected to leave in the summer, which could see the club enter the market for a replacement.

The Londoners are eager to keep the physical profile that Mateta offered intact, and are targeting a move for a forward who can adapt to the Premier League with ease. Given how Palace prefer to play, they want ample physicality as well as explosiveness from their new forward, as they have already been linked with Derby County star Patrick Agyemang.

Now, Palace are keen on Trabzonspor forward Felipe Augusto, the striker with 13 goals and standing 1.87m tall in that forward line of the Turkish side. He has shown plenty of promise with his performances in Turkey, as scouts from the London club have watched him in action and are convinced he could provide them with a good option in the front line.

Crystal Palace to sign Felipe Augusto?

Augusto combines explosiveness and physicality in the forward line, as the profile fits perfectly into what Palace seek from a new striker. Moreover, his hold-up play while facing away from goal has also been described as exceptional, as Trabzonspor are expected to listen to offers exceeding the €20–25 million mark.

Palace could be in a good position to afford that kind of figure, as talks are expected to start closer to the commencement of the summer transfer window. They will be looking at other names too, but the cost-effectiveness of Augusto could be a good risk to take, as they might continue with Strand Larsen as their main centre-forward heading into the new season.