Crystal Palace complete Fraizer Campbell capture
Published:Crystal Palace, third-favourites for relegation with Coral at 9/4, have signed Cardiff City frontman Fraizer Campbell, after triggering his reported release clause of £900k.
Eagles boss Tony Pulis beat off competition from Premier League new boys Leicester City to land the former Manchester United, Spurs and Sunderland striker. Foxes manager Nigel Pearson added Brighton top scorer Leonardo Ulloa for £8m to his attacking options at the King Power Stadium instead.
Campbell will compete with ex-Arsenal attacker Marouane Chamakh, Stephen Dobbie, last season’s top scorer Dwight Gayle and Glenn Murray for a starting spot up front at Palace. His fee could rise to £1m through bonuses and add-ons.
It has been a quiet summer at Selhurst Park so far with Scottish keeper Chris Kettings the only other Eagles acquisition. Eight senior players have left the south London side following their highest ever finish in the Premier League era.
Right back Jack Hunt joined Nottingham Forest on loan for the remainder of 2014 earlier this week, while fellow defenders Danny Gabbidon, Dean Moxey and Jonathan Parr were all released. The latter pair found new clubs in Championship duo Bolton Wanderers and Ipswich Town respectively.
Spanish midfielder Jose Campana, loaned by Pulis to Bundesliga outfit Nuremberg for the second half of last season, has also left Selhurst for Serie A side Sampdoria. Veteran striker Aaron Wilbraham, meanwhile, has joined League One team Bristol City and ex-Scotland stopper Neil Alexander has returned north of the border to Hearts.
Cardiff and Palace have already done business this summer, with South Africa midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi switching to the Welsh capital on a free transfer. This move sparked speculation Bluebirds boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would lose in-demand Chile international Gary Medel. Inter Milan and Turkish giants Galatasaray are both reportedly chasing him.
Under Pulis, the Eagles came close to a top 10 finish last term. Odds of 9/2 say they can achieve this in the upcoming campaign.
