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Crystal Palace eye bargain defender despite £100m American investment

| 21.12.2015

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew is set to shop for a January bargain despite Crystal Palace’s recent £100m investment boost.

The Selhurst Park club recently signed a deal with American investors but the Eagles boss is insistent that he won’t be splashing the cash in the New Year and has instead set his sights on a bargain defender currently strutting his stuff in the Bundesliga.

According to reports, Pardew is lining up an £800,000 deal to take Stuttgart defender Georg Niedermeier to south-east London.

The 29-year-old started his career at Bayern Munich II, making 86 appearances, but after failing to break into the first team was snapped up by Stuttgart, where he has excelled in many of his 130+ matches so far.

Stuttgart are desperate to keep hold of their man but Niedermeier has rejected the club’s latest contract offer and as such will be able to leave as a free agent at the end of the season.

Palace won’t be held to ransom, given the player’s circumstances, but Pardew is hopeful that a bid of just under £1m will fend off interest from Premier League rivals Sunderland and Norwich.

Both clubs could easily match Palace’s offer but is is thought that Niedermeier is not keen to start life in England with a relegation scrap, making the Eagles favourites for his signature.

Palace head into Christmas on a four-game unbeaten streak, with victories over Newcastle, Southampton and Stoke, plus a draw with Everton, meaning Pardew’s men look good value at 19/10 for their Boxing Day clash with Bournemouth at Dean Court.

The Cherries are in something of a purple patch too, building on draws with Swansea and Everton to beat Chelsea, Manchester United and West Brom on the spin. Eddie Howe’s men can be backed at 7/5, with the chalked up at 23/10.

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Author

James Curtis

After studying for a degree in journalism and gaining his NCTJ, James contributed to a wide range of papers, online publications and broadcasters including the South London Press, Press Association and Sky Sports News before joining the Ladbrokes News team.