Bristol Rovers and Port Vale battling with Belgian outfit for Crystal Palace player | OneFootball

Bristol Rovers and Port Vale battling with Belgian outfit for Crystal Palace player | OneFootball

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Football League World

·19 January 2024

Bristol Rovers and Port Vale battling with Belgian outfit for Crystal Palace player

Article image:Bristol Rovers and Port Vale battling with Belgian outfit for Crystal Palace player

There is now less than two weeks for EFL clubs to complete their transfer business in the January transfer window, and the most likely deals that are there to be done are half-season loan agreements.

Premier League clubs will tend to decide on whether or not to send young players out for experience or not as the transfer deadline on January 31 gets closer, whilst Championship, League One and League Two outfits look to strengthen.


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And one player in particular who is looking for an opportunity seemingly is Crystal Palace left-back Tayo Adaramola, who is attracting interest from English clubs.

The 20-year-old Irishman joined Coventry City of the Championship in 2022, but after playing just one cup game for the Sky Blues, the agreement was quickly terminated and he went back to the Eagles for the rest of 2022-23.

Bristol Rovers and Port Vale in battle for Crystal Palace defender

Palace though now seemingly see January as the right time for Adaramola to go and gain some experience in men's football, and a pair of League One clubs are interested in taking a chance on him.

According to a report from the South London Press, Bristol Rovers and Port Vale have both expressed an interest in loaning in Adaramola, who has been in four matchday squads for Palace's first-team this season in the Premier League and FA Cup.

The Valiants are seemingly looking for more competition for Conor Grant at left wing-back, with 16-year-old Jack Shorrock playing a few times recently and even getting on the scoresheet, whilst Gas boss Matt Taylor already has Chelsea's Harvey Vale occupying the same position but perhaps wants more competition as well.

Rovers and Vale could be gazumped by overseas club for Adaramola

However, despite expressing their interest in doing a deal for the Republic of Ireland youth international, both Port Vale and Bristol Rovers look likely on missing out as things stand on Adaramola.

That is because Palace look most likely to send him over to Belgium, and more specifically RWD Molenbeek.

Leading Eagles shareholder John Textor, an American businessman who owns 45 per cent of the London club, is also the owner of Molenbeek as well as plenty of other clubs around the world, and the Belgian top flight side have loaned in Jake O'Brien, Jacob Montes and Luke Plange since the agreement began in 2022.

And Palace see Molenbeek currently as the 'most viable destination' for Adaramola to continue his development, although nothing is set in stone just yet.

Adaramola may not sign but Port Vale and Bristol Rovers transfer priorities become clear

Whilst things could change within the next few days, Adaramola doesn't look likely to be heading to either interested League One club, but it does show that they are in the market for new left wing-backs.

For Vale, it would perhaps be unfair to ask a lot of 16-year-old Shorrock despite his emergence into Andy Crosby's plans, and with Conor Grant's fitness not always being the best over the years, it makes sense to target that position.

Unless Matt Taylor has other plans for Harvey Vale though, such as a switch of position, then targeting someone like Adaramola - or any other left wing-back - would seem pretty bizarre as he would be unlikely to get minutes.

If either club could be a bit more persuasive though, then we could see Adaramola get his first taste of English league football for the second half of the season.

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