There is normally more demand than supply in this market, with the sides at the top of the table wanting to sign players to further their European hopes and sides at the bottom needing to strengthen to avoid the drop. Most of the players that clubs have on their long term target list won’t be available this month as their current clubs won’t want to sell key players, when it will be hard to replace them. Also the fees involved in signing players this month are inflated due to the short supply. Therefore if a player of genuine quality becomes available, they normally have a choice of club to join. I expect this to be the case with Loic Remy, who is available on loan.
A loan deal is perfect for clubs in the Premier League as it doesn’t require a huge investment, which they will try to avoid as they don’t know their fate for next season. Loic Remy has had a mixed time in England and has failed to find his true home. His decisions when it comes to making the right move have been questionable. He turned down Newcastle for the riches of QPR, before eventually joining the Magpies on loan. Then he turned them down again after a successful loan spell for the possible chance of success with Chelsea. He has managed to win a league winners medal, but he has failed to break into the first team.
At the age of 29, he is seeking another move within the Premier League to strengthen his chances of getting into the French squad for the European Championships. He is suited to the English game, with his pace and movement proving to be difficult to defend against as highlighted by his strike rate of a goal every 153.04 minutes. This is better than a goal every other game and he is good enough to improve the majority of sides in this league.
Two teams who are being linked to every striker this window are Crystal Palace and Newcastle United. The former are in 7th place and targeting a possible European challenge. Their strikers combined have scored one league goal and it is the one area that is holding the side back at the moment. Loic Remy would be a good option for them as he has worked with Alan Pardew and enjoyed linking up with Yohan Cabaye when both were at Newcastle. Also the move would allow the Frenchman to remain in London and challenge in the top half of the league, which is where his talents belong. However, Palace may opt to sign a striker with their eye on the long term, with Charlie Austin being a possibility.
Meanwhile Newcastle are believed to be in talks over a loan deal and it would be brave for Remy to turn them down for a third time considering he was at his best when playing for the club. Newcastle have only scored 19 goals so far, with six of those coming in one match. They are in the bottom three, but they do have the base of a very good side and Remy could excel at the club once again. He would have the likes of Ayoze Perez, Moussa Sissoko and Georginio Wijnaldum playing behind him and would get plenty of chances. Newcastle have failed to take their chances in the last four games and really should have taken more points. If they manage to loan Remy, they will begin to climb the table as they are creating the chances. It is also a good deal for them as it allows Aleksandar Mitrovic to be groomed for the long term without as much pressure on the Serbian.
The next few weeks will be intriguing as a lot of Premier League clubs need to go into the market. I expect this deal to be one of the first big ones to go through with Chelsea being open to letting him leave. If both these clubs do go in for him as expected, it will be interesting which club he chooses. Crystal Palace are a better long term option, but Remy has previously done very well at Newcastle and he will be used to the environment. His main concern is doing well in the short term and getting back in the French side, which is why Newcastle may be more appealing than Palace.
