CRYSTAL PALACE TO AWARD TALENT NEW DEAL TO WARD OFF BAYERN INTEREST

Crystal Palace are reportedly set to award academy talent David Obou a professional contract in November when the youngster turns 17 to ward off interest from the likes of Bayern Munich and PSV Eindhoven. According to the Guardian, Palace have high hopes that Obou will become the club’s next big talent from the academy following the recent success stories of Tyrick Mitchell and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with Jesurun Rak-Sakyi starring out on loan with Charlton Athletic as Kaden Rodney has this season also made his professional debut this campaign.

As per the report, Obou is viewed as an ‘exciting’ prospect, with the attacking midfielder catching the eyes of fans earlier this season with a brilliant goal against Manchester City in the U-18 Premier League, and Palace are now working on handing the 16-year-old a professional contract on his birthday in mid-November. The opening of Palace’s new training centre and academy will no doubt see the Eagles tap in to the incredible wealth of quality coming out of south London, an area of England and Europe as a whole that is considered one of the best hotspots for finding young talents.

Jadon Sancho, Ryan Sessegnon and Palace striker Wilfried Zaha are just a few names who all grew up south of the river Thames and have since gone on to have fantastic careers, and Patrick Vieira’s side will be hopeful that Obou can follow in the footsteps of those who succeeded from learning their game in south London.

Bayern are no strangers to signing promising talents from England, with the European giants poaching Jamal Musiala from Chelsea with the now-German international going on to become one of the best players in the Bundesliga and a star for the national team. Yet Palace are playing it smart by tying Obou to a new contract.

Indeed, British youngsters are now more likely than ever to leave for regular football on the continent, and for Palace, they are working efficiently in already planning to give Obou a long-term deal the second he is legible for a professional contract.