Crystal Palace leading the way for Middlesbrough’s hometown hero
Published:
New Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce is looking to make full use of the January transfer window by adding Stewart Downing to his ranks for the remainder of the season.
Our traders make it just a 4/1 shot that the experienced winger moves from Teesside to South London, with Big Sam’s men currently sitting 17th in the Premier League table.
Meanwhile, it’s 7/1 for Gianfranco Zola to make the former England international his first signing as Birmingham City boss, while 6/1 says the 32-year-old teams up with Steve McClaren once again at Derby County.
The former Liverpool man has featured in 17 of Boro’s 20 Premier League games this season, starting over half of them.
But as Aitor Karanka continues to strengthen his squad with emerging talents from across Europe, it’s likely Downing will struggle to hold down a place in the starting XI – and news coming from the Riverside this morning will have plenty of second-tier outfits on red alert.
One of those is Aston Villa, in a move which would see Downing return to the West Midlands outfit after six years away.
In the two years he spent at Villa Park, he managed nine top-flight goals and 14 assists in all competitions, which led to a £19m move to Anfield. It’s 12/1 for Steve Bruce to pip his rivals to the post.
And there’s yet another Midlands side in the running for his signature, with Paul Lambert’s Wolverhampton Wanderers linked with a potential move. And 9/1 says he’ll be plying his trade a the Molineux after January.
Ladbrokes Latest Betting
Stewart Downing club after January Transfer Window:
Crystal Palace – 4/1
Derby – 6/1
Birmingham – 7/1
Brighton – 8/1
Sheffield Wednesday – 9/1
Wolves – 9/1
Brentford – 10/1
Hull City – 10/1
Aston Villa – 12/1
Fulham – 12/1
Leeds – 12/1
Reading – 12/1
Click here for a full list of January Transfer Window odds.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
