Fansided

One player each Premier League team should sign this summer

By Jasper Hutson

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 15: Kelechi Iheanacho of Manchester City controls the ball during the Premier League match between Everton and Manchester City at Goodison Park on January 15, 2017 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 15: Kelechi Iheanacho of Manchester City controls the ball during the Premier League match between Everton and Manchester City at Goodison Park on January 15, 2017 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) /
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MUNICH, GERMANY – NOVEMBER 28: John Brooks of Berlin runs with the ball during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Muenchen and Herha BSC Berlin at Allianz Arena on November 28, 2015 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images)
MUNICH, GERMANY – NOVEMBER 28: John Brooks of Berlin runs with the ball during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Muenchen and Herha BSC Berlin at Allianz Arena on November 28, 2015 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images) /

Crystal Palace: John Brooks

Crystal Palace did what they had to do. Staring at another relegation scrap, they made a deal with the soccer devil. They hired former England manager Sam Allardyce, an expert at keeping teams out of relegation. Allardyce didn’t exactly make them good, but he kept them up.

In the final month or so of the season, the Eagles managed to beat Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal. But if they want to reach that level more consistently, additions will be necessary. The most obvious area for improvement is at the back.

Mamadou Sakho made a huge difference in the second half of the season after signing on loan from Liverpool, but it’s unclear whether he’ll return for good, especially now with Allardyce gone. USMNT and Hertha Berlin center-back John Brooks would be an excellent alternative.

Brooks isn’t going to change the club’s fortunes overnight, but he’s young, talented and can form a strong partnership with James Tomkins if given a chance. He’s physical enough to make the transition to the Premier League, and though Palace had a worse season than Hertha, he would likely make more money at Selhurst Park, which could convince him to leave the club he’s been at since the age of 14.

The first question for Palace is who to hire in place of the outgoing Allardyce. But whoever that person turns out to be, they’ll need to strengthen at the back. Brooks would be a good first step.

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