With the transfer window now just over a month away, a season of speculation begins for Crystal Palace, Fulham and the rest of the Premier League.
But, for any clubs facing a battle hanging onto their star men, February 1st really cannot come soon enough.
Take Terry Yegbe, for instance.
According to Fotboll Direkt, there is interest developing from both the Premier League and the Championship in one of the rising talents of Scandinavian football. Yegbe, a Ghana international who represents IF Elfsborg in Sweden, is reportedly on Crystal Palace’s list to Santa.
Fulham and Sheffield United are allegedly hoping to see the 23-year-old centre-half sat under the tree too, with Elfsborg’s £4 million asking price unlikely to put off those deep-pocketed shoppers from England’s top flight.
Promotion-seeking Sheffield United, meanwhile, have dipped into the Scandinavian market themselves in recent times. Yegbe is a candidate to follow in the footsteps of Anel Ahmedhodzic, Benie Traore and Anis Slimane.
Though Stefan Andreasson, a director at Elfsborg, remains convinced that Yegbe still has a few chapters left in his story at the Boras Arena.
Elfsborg react as Fulham and Crystal Palace eye Terry Yegbe
“I’m sure Terry will have a long and good career outside Sweden,” Andreasson begins, speaking to local publication Boras Tidning. “But we are confident that he will play for Elfsborg next year as well.
“He hasn’t even played a full season for Elfsborg yet. At the same time, everyone knows that things can happen very quickly in this business.”
Yegbe only joined Elfsborg 11 months ago from Finnish outfit SJK. One of many young African talents who started out his European career in Scandinavia – like Mohammed Kudus, for instance – Yegbe’s left-footedness will appeal to managers who like a balance at the heart of their backline.
Should he join Crystal Palace, Yegbe would likely operate as back-up to Marc Guehi. Potentially, with the remit of replacing the England international should interest arise again in the former Newcastle United target.
TBR have been told that Crystal Palace will look to sell Guehi if he does not sign a new contract at Selhurst Park.
Yegbe could follow in Brentford man’s footsteps
Fulham’s interest comes as more of a surprise, with Jorge Cuenca and Calvin Bassey operating as Marco Silva’s left-sided central defensive options. TBR understands that central midfield is another area The Cottagers want to strengthen, as Burnley’s Josh Brownhill emerges as a target for Fulham.
Andreasson, meanwhile, is keen to remind Yegbe that the grass is not always greener elsewhere. He highlights the case of Hakon Valdimarsson, the Icelandic goalkeeper who left Elfsborg for Brentford in January but has not made a single Premier League appearance ten months on.
“I won’t comment on the clubs [who want to sign Yegbe], but there is a lot of interest in him. Terry is smart and has smart people around him,” Andreasson explains.
“But to be able to go straight from us to the top five leagues… Hakon Valdimarsson is a good example of that.”