Crystal Palace look again at Besiktas striker Cenk Tosun after terrible start to the season
The striker scored 24 goals for the Turkish champions last season
GOAL-SHY Crystal Palace are ready to reignite their interest in Turkish striker Cenk Tosun following their disastrous start to the season.
The Eagles agreed a £22.5milion fee for the 26-year-old Besiktas centre-forward in the final days of August after an earlier bid had been rejected by the Turkish champions.
But there was not enough time to complete the details of the deal before the transfer window closed and four days later Palace sacked manager Frank De Boer.
Now they are looking to revive the deal for the powerful centre-forward in January after failing to score a single goal in their first seven Premier League games.
With Christian Benteke ruled out for at least six weeks by a knee ligament injury, Roy Hodgson’s scouts were present to see Tosun score three times in Turkey’s World Cup qualifying games against Iceland and Finland over the past week.
And Besiktas president Firket Orman is already preparing himself for more negotiations with the struggling South Londonders who are currently cast adrift at the foot of the Premier League table.
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He says: “If the proposals are very serious numbers and we need to sell to benefit the club, we will sell.
“But the opinion of our coach Senol Gunes is also opinion so if the offer arrives in January we will sit back and talk.”
Tosun has already admitted that he would already be a Palace player by now of they had acted quicker in the summer.
And though Orman was unhappy with Palace’s proposed payment plan in August, he does not anticipate any problems if and when talks resume in the New Year.
Spurs have also been watching Tosun during the international fortnight as a potential understudy to Harry Kane.
But they are reluctant to spend so much on a back-up striker and Tosun does not want to join a club if he is not going to be a first team regular.
