Robin van Persie would be a useful signing for Crystal Palace

Recent reports have suggested that Robin van Persie is attracting the interest of Crystal Palace, and that is a good thing for the London club.

New Palace manager Frank DeBoer is reportedly interested in bringing his fellow countryman back to the Premier League, with the former Arsenal and Manchester United striker looking for a way out of Fenerbahçe.

The move, while quite a surprise to many, could actually be a positive one for both parties.

Van Persie joined Fenerbahçe in July 2015 for a deal said to be around £3.8 million and has gone on to perform well in Turkey, despite approaching the age of 34 this summer.

He cost the Turkish team very little three years ago and could arguably leave the club for a similar price with the Dutchman finding himself no longer a regular starter.

Last season, Van Persie started just 14 league matches but was able to score nine league goals and pick up a further three assists.

In all competitions, Van Persie picked up an impressive 18 goals and 5 total assists, despite no longer being the team’s first choice up front.

At the age of 33, the Dutch international is entering the twilight of his career but has shown no signs of slowing down his impressive goal scoring.

For Crystal Palace, having a player like RVP would be a welcome sight.

Last season, Palace struggled for much of the Premier League season and were led in goals scored by Christian Benteke, who picked up 17 goals in all competitions.

While Benteke’s goal scoring record is not a concern for Palace, the rest of their strikers certainly should be.

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When combined together, Palace’s remaining strikers totalled just four goals last season – leaving the club without a suitable second striker that could support their star Belgian.

Wilfried Zaha notched seven goals for the club, but plays as a winger and would not be able to fill in should Benteke suffer an injury.

Robin van Persie has shown that, despite his advanced age, he could still contribute at a decent level.

He is not the 30-goal scorer he once was, but if he is able to play alongside Benteke and provide upwards of at least 7 or 8 goals for the Eagles next season then he could be seen as a serviceable player and will do much to help the club keep their distance from the relegation zone.

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With Robin van Persie turning 34 before the start of next season, it is unlikely that he will be signed to a long-term contract but he could still be a useful player to a team that is severely lacking goal scoring options.

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