This!! I wanted sooo much to say something about Alfredo Morales but I didn't want to derail the thred. He has been outstanding for a 21 year old. Not just through goals scored, but also through his overall playing and passes.

Ibarguen is very similar to Morales from Rangers, with the mention that the now top-scorer in Scotland (yes, ahead of Celtic's Dembele) would acost 6-7 million, while Ibarguen is free. I'm not saying that Ibarguen is the best striker for a Premier League club, but he's all there is left on a free. And SOMETHING is needed up front ASAP or it's relegation.

If not him then someone else. But fast.

I can think of 3 other players who could come free, all of them being able to play as second striker or on the wing, but the managers would have to talk to their clubs incognito and arrange it with them that they're let free. They haven't even featured on the bench in the last 6 matches for their teams, they were brought for free and it would be logical that if they're not used they'd be let go free too, with their clubs getting them off their paychecks:

Danny Blum of Eintracht, 27 yo, German, 1,84 in height- came from Nurnberg in the 2.Bundesliga, where he managed 8 goals and 10 assists in 2000 minutes. In the top level Bundesliga 2 goals in 450 minutes. Rarely used, but his feats in the second division are extraordinary. It would be like getting a good player from the Championship. Some injury problems 1 year ago, but has fully recovered and he has the highest chances of being allowed to leave on a free.

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Branimir Hrgota from Eintracht, 25 yo, Swedish, 1,85 in height- 18 goals in the last 89 matches seems like nothing much, but if you actually look, Hrgota has 9 goals in the Bundesliga, 2 in the Cup against a Bundesliga team-Werder and 8 in the Europa League against tough opponents (19 in total)+ 8 assists in just 4000 minutes. That's a goal or assist in 150 minutes at top level.

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Luca Waldschmidt from Hamburg, 21 yo, German, 1,81 in height- 2 goals and 2 assists in 800 minutes in the Bundesliga (one every 200 minutes)+1 in 70 minutes agains FC Koln in the Cup, but has not played much. Great at youth level with 45 goals and 4 assists in 5400 minutes+ international at all levels for Germany.

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These players are not taken into consideration by their coaches. And before someone asks the question "but would they want to come to Palace?", they sure would, cause if they stay at their clubs until the summer in this situation they might not get contracts in top leagues. On top of it, the salaries in the PL are higher than what any of them has at their clubs. There was a lot of talk of Hrgota leaving in the winter, but the board convinced him to stay on as 4th striker. However, the young Serbian Jovic has had a real growth and Hrgota is now not even 4th striker.

There would also be the German-Venezuelan from Alaves, Christian Santos, but he's not that young and hungry to run anymore at 29 and he has just played as center forward the last 2 seasons, he's forgotten how to play on the wing or behind the main forward.

A last option is Rodrigo Aguirre from Udinese, 23 yo, 1,86 in height. Also able to play on the wings. He's even out of their Serie A squad. These last years was loaned to Perugia, FC Lugano in Switzerland and Nacional in Uruguay, also in the Copa Libertadores. He gave 14 goals and 8 assists in the last 3000 minutes at this level. Not bad, if he did half that at top PL level it would be good for a 23 yo. But he has had some meniscus problems in December so if not fully 100% fit he wouldn't be my first option. And getting Udine to let him on a free is not that simple either, as they paid over 3 million for him in 2014. But I think they might accept the loss if someone takes his salary.

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That's it. There aren't any other good players in the top leagues who could be allowed to leave on a free.

However, I would definitely bring in 1 of these players, even if just for 10 matches. Even if just for 5 matches!! It's better than nothing. There's literally no one else to send in. The bench is empty with regard to attacking players. Sorloth, a 1,94 in height player is forced to play on the wing or behind the center forward. Zaha is out and may struggle to fitness till the end. McArthur, a central midfielder, is playing as attacking midfielder. Good player, but he's not used to creating chances. There is no back up for Townsend. You see Lee Chung Yong coming up and you know nothing is going to happen, he won't contribute with goals or assists.

As a comparison, LCY has 1 goal and 1 assist in the PL in 1050 minutes and just 7 goals and 13 assists in his last 6000 minutes at second division and cup level (just 1 in 300 minutes at Championship level).

No way these guys above would be worse. Goals are needed to get wins. Yes, with a good defence you can prevent defeats. But to get 3 points instead of just
1 you need to score. And it's a real tragedy for Palace with 10 matches to go and relegation looming. Yes, for every 99 logical examples, there's a Burnley who sits in 7th with just 22 goals scored. But all the other teams with less than 25 goals scored are in the relegation zone, with big odds to go down (21 goals Swansea, 22 goals West Brom, 25 goals Palace and Huddersfield, 26 goals Brighton, 27 goals Newcastle, 28 goals Stoke). 3 of those will go down, but the others have retained their fire power or added to it in the winter transfer (Andre Ayew, Sturridge, Chadli recovered, Pritchard, Locadia, Jese recovered), while Palace has lost Zaha (half the goals). It looks grimm.

Screw the goalkeeper, you can get an emergency one anytime, get an attacking player now!

Edited by mattteo (28 Feb 2018 12.41am)

Matteo, why don't you just collate all of your thoughts, cut out the crap and the almost players, embellish the good stuff and send it all to the club. If the players are that good then maybe someone from Palace will go take a look. I would rather you did this than keep posting it on here because hardly any of us have the time to watch worldwide football so have no idea what you are talking about. This is not a dig at you by the way, if it comes good, you never know you might even pick up a scouting position, but let some people who understand football at that level decide.

Nah, its snowing & hes stuck at home

This operation, will make the 'Charge Of The Light Brigade' seem like a simple military exercise.

I don't have the manager's or president's email. Plus, I'm kind of hoping they read fan forums ) I don't think they read emails from ordinary people.

And yes, it is snowing and I am stuck at home, it's true!!

I imagine Matteo to be Willo's spotty nephew !!

Pro USA & Israel

FIFA rules on player transfers are pretty clear and are attached. The relevant parts are III 6.1 which covers the timing of player registration and makes specific reference to free agents, and IV 15 which covers the ability of a player to terminate his contract if he is playing less than 10% of matches - the player can only terminate under this provision within a 15 day window at the end of a season.

Attachment: FIFA Player Registration.pdf (390.62Kb)