Crystal Palace’s Headache: Arsenal Pursue Another Youngster

It never rains, but it pours for Neil Warnock and Simon Jordan.

The dust has barely settled on the John Bostock fiasco and the Crystal Palace duo already find another Crystal Palace youngster subject to a substantial bid from a Premiership club.

This time the club is Arsenal, and the player is Victor Moses. The 17-year old, another graduate of the productive Palace academy, was the focus of a £1m bid from the North London club.

Jordan, Palace’s chairman, immediately rejected the bid—citing an acceptable price nearer the £3m mark. With the Bostock tribunal no doubt fresh in his mind, he is extremely unwilling to let another prized asset go on the cheap.

Fortunately for Jordan and his manager, Moses has a three-year contract with the club, something that Bostock was infamously without. As such, Jordan can play hardball without being undermined. 

Nevertheless, Arsene Wenger is reported to be very confident he will land his man. The young striker would no doubt be interested in joining up with the Emirates club.

Warnock, Palace’s manager, will undoubtedly be reluctant to sell a first-team player. Moses is crucial to Warnock’s proposed 4-3-3 formation this season (occupying a wide role amongst the front three), as he was extremely effective in the 13 league games he played there last season.

However, Wenger may well be able to persuade him to part with the Nigerian-born player. A loan-back arrangement (where Moses would be bought by Arsenal and loaned straight back to the Eagles) would no doubt appeal.

The transfer money could then be utilised by Warnock in pursuit of other targets.

Similarly, Palace could use any transfer negotiations to obtain some of Arsenal’s promising youngsters for the upcoming season. Wenger may be open to sending the likes of Mark Randall, Nacer Barazite, or even Rui Fonte (whose brother, Jose, is part of the squad at Selhurst Park) in exchange for the England U’19 international.

Warnock was instrumental in the growth of the likes of Moses, Scannell, and Hills last season—Wenger’s kids would be in safe hands. The outspoken man is far more skilled manager than many give him credit for.

Whatever the case, Palace will no doubt be far more willing to negotiate with Arsenal than they would, say, another North London side.

What Arsenal fans want to know, however, is what sort of player they are likely to be getting.

Comparisons with John Bostock are inevitable, and many pundits have predicted the new Tottenham player will be a future England international. He is certainly one of the most talented players in a generation.

Moses, however, was the original Bostock. Palace fans have been talking about him since he first joined the club at 14. On the terraces, Moses was always the great hope for the Eagles.

While he does not quite have the potential of Bostock, unlike his former teammate, Moses has already consistently delivered at Championship level.

As a player, he is in a similar mould to Wayne Rooney. Short, stocky, and with a massive physical presence, he also has an eye for the spectacular. Moses’ goal against Watford last season was one of the strikes of the season.

Equally, he is deceptively quick, has good close control, and works hard for the team. He has not become a fan favourite without good reason.

However, this is not to say he is the finished article. He still has a lot of developing to do, both physically and mentally, before he can really show his potential.

His inability to make an impact on the Playoff semifinals last season demonstrated what he still lacks in these two departments.

He looked overawed by the occasion, and struggled (valiantly) against the rough-and-tumble approach of the Bristol City defenders.

At 17, this is more than forgivable. Palace fans still expect him to be a massive part of the team next season. First-team football has already helped him come on leaps and bounds—how good could he be with a full season under his belt?

This, of course, will never be known if he goes to Arsenal. But moving across London will hardly harm him. Indeed, it will only help his technical skills and aid his mental development.

Moses need only look at the example of Theo Walcott to see that, with hard work and patience, it is more than possible to break into the Arsenal first-team—technically improved and ready for the Premiership.

The problem, though, is that however willing Jordan and Warnock may be to sell Moses, the fans will be vehemently against it.

The Palace faithful have spent years looking forward to seeing their young talent pull on the red and blue—not to see them get sold after a handful of appearances.

The journey is exciting, but the destination is what the fans are all about. Robbed of Bostock, why should they sit by as another club get to enjoy the fruits of Palace’s labour?

If Moses is sold, especially for less than the £3m rumoured, then the wave of sympathy directed towards Jordan from the fans will quickly be lost. Such a sale would send the wrong message to fans optimistic of a successful team.

But you can’t blame Arsenal for pursuing another of England’s brightest young hopes.