Come on he's outstanding and clearly good enough for us.

Injuries is an issue but he won't sign for us on his wages or fee. if he holds out for that then he won't sign.

We also need players in the mid age range - simply going under 23 is not the answer.

Barkley is obvs not the answer but a player between 25-27 should very much be on the radar. See Andersen potential signing. These are the players that will be our leaders in the next season or so.

Personally, i'd gamble on Barkley because I think he'd fit in at Palace from a cultural point of view. In our pond, he'd be a big fish and I think that's a scenario he responds well to evidenced by what he did at Everton (where he was a big fish, and as he didn't at Chelsea, where he wasn't).

At his best, fit, there's a very, very good player in there in a position of need for us. He's one of many players whose career has been somewhat derailed by a combination of thinking he's bigger than he is and signing for the wrong club. Perhaps he's been somewhat humbled by his experiences at Chelsea and Villa and realises he needs to bed in somewhere.

Of course, the price and the wages would have to be right; I wouldn't overpay by any stretch of the imagination but he's a player I could see taking off in our environment and flourishing in the Selhurst atmosphere. All in all, he's a gamble I'd be happy to take.

Sydenham by birth. Selhurst by the Grace of God.

For the reasons I think you allude to, he will continue to make the wrong choice and go for short term financial gain - probably Newcastle where they routinely boo their own players and viciously abuse them on social media.

For the reasons you give in plain English, take a big pay cut and a reduced fee and I think he would fit very well at Palace and be a much happier person and brilliant player.

He won't. Too greedy. Too thick.

(BTW I have seen no evidence we are even after him)