Crystal Palace news: Opinion – ‘Eberechi Eze subplot developing’

There is an Eberechi Eze subplot developing at Crystal Palace.

In isolation, he is a supremely talented attacking midfielder who has directly contributed to the club’s goalscoring record this season and past. He has taken the most shots and created the most chances for others.

The counterpoint to that is that he is not fully suited to Oliver Glasner’s half-winger roles or can lack the urgency in possession that the Austrian may desire.

If Eze does not yet qualify as a club great, he is certainly falling into the ‘very good’ category within club history. Without the words or space to delve into that in any depth, he has often been most successful as the ‘second’ guy – to Wilfried Zaha and Michael Olise – only to find himself elevated to the prime position this season.

That does not take away from what he can do and has produced, but it is easier to understand why he struggled more before the emergence of Ismaila Sarr opposite him.

There are two reasons Palace need him to excel and perform at his height to close the season: the results that would follow and, of course, inflating any potential sale price.

The Eze sale valuation in the eyes of chairman Steve Parish compared with the fans may well differ by £15-20m. Yet, even if another team offered the lower end of that figure, it would be a sizable contribution to the squad’s development.

Eze also deserves the chance to experience and test himself at the highest standard and level, much as he did to represent England this past summer.

As he turns 27 this summer, the window to do so may close quickly. It is almost a stick or twist situation.

With him seeking full fitness and a return to the starting XI in due course, he can be the difference in tight games such as Saturday, but in terms of his future, he feels like another moving part in a complex Palace machine.

What do you think? Should Palace stick or twist with Eze? Let us know here

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