Transfer Talk: Flying full-back Munoz can help Eagles soar

Daniel Munoz is turning heads in the Belgian Pro League.

And after an excellent first half of the season, the Genk right-back has been linked with a move to Crystal Palace this month.

With a reported £10million valuation, the Colombian could be a shrewd addition for the Eagles, who are short of quality in that position.

Ahead of Palace's trip to Arsenal, we take a look at what Munoz would bring to Selhurst Park.

Goalscoring defender

Genk will be keen to keep a player who offers them so much in attack as well as defence.

Munoz has scored five league goals in 16 appearances, following on from his impressive return of eight goals in 2022-23.

The 27-year-old's trademark is to make late surges into the penalty area.

And that ability to drive forward will appeal to Palace, whose return of 22 goals from 20 Premier League games is a concern.

The Eagles are currently underperforming their expected goals tally of 27.92 and are in need of some extra firepower.

Over the last year, Munoz has produced 7.79 progressive passes and 3.37 touches in the opposition box per 90 minutes.

With Nathaniel Clyne and Joel Ward not currently offering much threat from that position, a more dynamic option could make a significant difference.

Attacking woes

Boss Roy Hodgson knows Palace fans crave more exciting football at Selhurst Park after a relatively low-key first half of the campaign.

Following a 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth last month, the veteran manager, 76, said: "The fact is, the fans have been spoiled here in recent times.

"They're used to seeing us do very well at home and get good results.

"We've punched above our weight for a number of years now.

"We've kept this team in the league for a number of years but the fact is we are still in a situation where every game for us has got to be a fight. Every game for us has got to be street fighting."

While Palace's resoluteness has been praised, it is the dynamism of Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze that gets fans off their seats.

Targeting players like Munoz suggests the club want to go in a different direction.

Realistic target

Munoz certainly appears to be a realistic target for Palace.

Genk's No23 is out of contract at the end of the season, though his employers have an option to extend his deal by 12 months.

And a move to the Premier League will likely appeal to a player who moved to Belgium from Atletico Nacional back in May 2020.

It would be a step forward for Munoz, who is playing the best football of his career.

So as the Eagles prepare to take on title-challengers Arsenal, they can be confident the right reinforcements are coming.