Crystal Palace tried to hijack Southampton’s move for Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles, as they look to bolster their squad before the deadline, according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.
Patrick Vieira has overseen a steady stream of business at Selhurst Park over the last few months but is now running out of time to complete any further deals.
What is the latest on Maitland-Niles?
The Arsenal midfielder is set to join Southampton on a season-long loan ahead of the deadline after the Saints won the race for his signature, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Maitland-Niles will also extend his Gunners contract by another year ahead of joining up with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad.
According to 90Min, Newcastle United had also joined the race to sign the 25-year-old, as they sought a figure capable of filling in at right-back.
Crook later reported that Palace had made a late dash to pinch the deal away from Southampton, but that a twist was never likely.
It may now leave Vieira and co. scrambling for alternatives with just hours remaining.
The Eagles are eager to bring Chelsea star Conor Gallagher back to the club following his loan last season and recently made a £27 million offer for his services.
However, Newcastle also want to land the 22-year-old, with Chelsea valuing the England international at £40 million.
What has Crook said on Maitland-Niles?
Crook understands that Palace tried to hijack a deal for the Arsenal academy graduate but that Maitland-Niles had already given his word to Southampton.
The talkSPORT reporter adds that Bournemouth also made a late move for his services but were never likely to succeed.
Crook told GIVEMESPORT: “Crystal Palace tried to hijack it at the last minute but he'd already given his word to Southampton, so he joined them on loan. He turned down other offers. I think Bournemouth were there at one stage but that died when Scott Parker left.”
Do Palace need another midfield option?
This summer has seen the south Londoners bring in four new faces, with Malcolm Ebiowei, Sam Johnstone, Chris Richards and Cheick Doucoure all arriving.
Out of those, Doucoure is the only midfield option and, with Palace having lost both Gallagher and Cheikhou Kouyate at the end of last season, reinforcements may still be needed.
The levels of energy have unsurprisingly dropped since Gallagher’s departure so bringing someone in to provide that same approach could be key to Palace’s season.