French expert Adam White reckons that Marseille forward Bamba Dieng would be an ideal replacement for Jean-Philippe Mateta at Crystal Palace.
Despite scoring the winning goal at Millwall on Saturday in the FA Cup, the striker is expected to leave the club this month.
Should Mateta depart before the window closes, it would leave Patrick Vieira with just two recognised strikers in his squad. Therefore, White believes that Dieng would be a good signing for Palace.
Why is Mateta leaving?
He joined on an 18-month loan deal from Ligue 1 outfit Metz, but has been underwhelming for the club, scoring just three goals in 14 games. Mateta has made himself a minor fans favourite following goals against Brighton and then Millwall, two of Palace's biggest rivals.
But he's struggled massively for game-time, starting just four Premier League games in 12 months, with Christian Benteke and Odsonne Edouard above him in the pecking order.
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Therefore, his loan deal in South London is expected to be cut short before the end of the month, according to the Evening Standard, with Palace already being linked with replacements. One of which is Dieng, who's scored four goals in just seven Ligue 1 starts for Marseille this campaign.
According to French outlet La Provence, Vieira's side are one of several Premier League clubs, which includes Newcastle, West Ham and Aston Villa hoping to sign the 21-year-old, who can play through the middle and out wide.
What did White say about Dieng?
He told GIVEMESPORT: "I think from Palace's point of view, he's a good replacement for Mateta."
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How much game-time would Dieng get at Palace?
Mateta's lack of chances this season would suggest that it would be difficult for Dieng to convince Vieira that he should be a regular. But Dieng has already caught the eye in France this season, scoring those four goals in just 530 minutes, which gives him an impressive goal-per-minutes ratio of 132.5.
Dieng can operate out wide, but Palace have plenty of depth; with Eberechi Eze, Wilfried Zaha, Michael Olise and Jordan Ayew just some of the attacking options that Vieira has at his disposal, not to mention Edouard and Benteke.
Therefore, as Mateta found out, Dieng would have his work cut out, but at 21-years-old, he would surely arrive hoping to make his mark in English football.