Having already acquired Christian Benteke in this transfer window, Crystal Palace further bolstered their striking options with the signing of Chelsea forward Loic Remy on a season-long loan.
The 29-year-old will once again link up with his former manager at Newcastle Alan Pardew, and speaking to the club’s official website, the Palace boss expressed his delight at being able to secure the Frenchman’s services:
“Loic has been a target of mine throughout this transfer window and I’m delighted the deal has been done. I brought him to Newcastle so I know what he is capable of and I am convinced he will be a quality addition to our squad as we evolve. Loic has international and Champions League experience as well as being a Premier League title winner and is the latest example of the high calibre of players we have brought into the club during this transfer window.”
The History
Remy joined Lyon’s youth academy at the age of 12, and progressed all the way to the first-team, making his professional debut against Saint Etienne in October 2006.
With Remy struggling for first-team action at Lyon, he joined Lens on loan in January 2008, producing four goals and two assists in 12 appearances before moving to Nice in the summer of 2008.
Over the next two seasons, Remy thrived as a regular starter, scoring 30 goals and bagging eight assists in 75 appearances in all competitions. He was linked with a move to Stoke, but ended up joining Marseille in August 2010 for a fee of around €15 million.
His two-and-a-half-year spell with the French giants continued to see Remy flourish as one of the leading strikers in Ligue 1, racking up 42 goals and 13 assists in 111 outings for the club.
He was on the move again in January 2013, signing for QPR for around £8 million. He was unable to prevent the club being relegated to the Championship, but did score six goals in 14 Premier League matches.
Remy moved to Newcastle on loan in 2013/14, and continued to impress in the Premier League, scoring 14 goals and grabbing three assists in just 26 matches.
Those performances convinced Chelsea to sign the striker in August 2014, but Remy has struggled for first-team action over the last two seasons, only managing 47 appearances in all competitions, totalling 12 goals and three assists.
Having scored five goals in 15 matches at Under 20 and Under 21 levels, Remy was afforded a senior debut for France in a 1-0 defeat to Nigeria in June 2009. He has made 31 appearances for his country, scoring seven goals.
The Prospects
While club-record Benteke looks set to be the centrepiece of the Palace attack this season, it was clear Pardew needed to add further goals to his side.
The Eagles scored just 39 times last season, ranking them as the joint-third lowest scorers, and have netted only once in the first three Gameweeks.
Pardew interestingly switched from his usual 4-2-3-1 formation to a 4-4-2 on Benteke’s league debut against Bournemouth on Saturday, with the Belgian playing alongside Connor Wickham in attack. Should Pardew look to favour the latter system, Remy could compliment Benteke perfectly, with the France international’s pace and dynamism in contrast to Benteke’s strength, aerial ability and hold up play.
Remy is a versatile attacker, though, capable of also playing wide on the right, whereas the former Liverpool striker is an out-and-out target man. Should Pardew use the Frenchman on the right wing, Andros Townsend could have some competition for his place, or he may shift over to the left wing, leaving Wilfried Zaha’s spot in doubt.
Certainly, if Pardew keep faith in the 4-4-2, we could see the Eagles putting a lot more crosses into the box, as they did last Saturday, which could boost the assist potential of Townsend and Jason Puncheon.
Priced at 6.4 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), Remy could provide excellent value should he be able to secure a regular starting berth, although having had little football over the past few months, it could take him some time to regain full match sharpness.
Coming in at just 1.0 more, Benteke is currently our favoured attacking asset at Selhurst Park, particularly after he revealed he’s determined to take penalty duties off Yohan Cabaye, after the midfielder missed his second successive spot-kick in the 1-1 draw with Bournemouth. The former Newcastle player could also be set for a spell on the sidelines after picking up a groin injury whilst on international duty.
Palace’s fixtures in the short-term (mid, STO, sun) are pretty favourable, but with Pardew’s side struggling for form, and both Benteke and Remy short of match fitness, there are no guarantees either player will hit the ground running at their new club. Pardew’s decision to hand Benteke 90 minutes last weekend, though, was an indication that he’s desperate for the new boys to make an impact.
Certainly, Remy’s history under Pardew offers encouragement that the Palace boss can once again get the best out of him. Whether he can better Benteke as a Fantasy prospect remains to be seen.
