Crystal Palace Join Leads United In Race For 13 G/A Player: Should Farke Still Go In For Him? | OneFootball

Crystal Palace have moved firmly into the frame for Derby County striker Patrick Agyemang, as reported by Football Insider’s transfer expert Pete O’Rourke on the Transfer Insider podcast. Leeds United had been tracking the 25-year-old American forward for some time, but the Eagles now appear to have entered the picture in earnest, making things more complicated for Leeds in their pursuit of one of the Championship’s standout performers this season.

Crystal Palace Join Leeds United in Race to Sign Patrick Agyemang From Derby County

O’Rourke revealed that Derby recruited Agyemang from Charlotte FC in the summer of 2025 for a fee in the region of £7 million, and his price tag has gone up since. In the 2025/26 Championship season, Agyemang has recorded 10 goals and three assists across roughly 2,100 minutes of football, putting him among the busiest strikers in the division. O’Rourke emphasised that he shares the team’s top-scorer position with Carlton Morris, and the two have formed a sharp attacking pair that has kept Derby in genuine playoff contention.

A 6-foot-4-inch striker, Agyemang came to Derby directly following the CONCACAF Gold Cup, where he led the line for the United States Men’s National Team as they reached the final of the competition. He can play out wide or through the middle, and O’Rourke noted that a strong showing for the US at the 2026 World Cup, played on home soil this summer, will only drive more clubs to his door. Transfermarkt currently values him at €7 million, though that figure is from December 2025 and almost certainly understates his current worth given the form he has shown since.

Palace need more firepower up front. Jean-Philippe Mateta came close to leaving for AC Milan in January before failing a medical, and he looks nailed on to leave in the summer. Eddie Nketiah’s future is equally uncertain. Despite signing Jorgen Strand Larsen, the Eagles want more depth up front, and Agyemang ticks their boxes as a big, mobile striker who can fill more than one role.

“Agyemang has had a very good debut season in England for Derby. Ten goals and four assists in 33 appearances. Derby spent a decent fee on him when they did sign him in the summer, it was around £7million, so I’m sure his price tag has gone up since then. He’s a versatile striker, can play out wide or down the middle, and he’s really impressed in his debut season at Derby County.

Derby currently sit eighth in the Championship with 54 points, sitting just outside the playoff places in what is a fiercely congested table. John Eustace’s side have recorded two wins, two draws, and one defeat in their last five matches, and they are still very much in the promotion hunt. Derby have no desire to sell their prized asset, but the club’s ability to retain him will almost certainly depend on whether they secure promotion this season.

Would Signing Patrick Agyemang Be the Right Move for Leeds United?

HULL, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 24: Patrick Agyemang of Derby County inspects the pitch prior to the Sky Bet Championship match between Hull City and Derby County at MKM Stadium on February 24, 2026 in Hull, England. (Photo by Tony King/Getty Images)

Leeds United find themselves in an unusual position this March. They sit in 16th place in the Premier League, two points above the relegation zone, deep in a fight to stay up against Nottingham Forest, Tottenham, West Ham, and others. They are among the bottom six clubs in a tightly contested struggle for survival, and nobody can say with any certainty which division Leeds will be playing in next August.

So here is the honest dilemma: do Leeds plan their summer transfer business around Premier League football, or do they accept the very real possibility of a second relegation in three years?

What he brings to the table is straightforward enough. At 6 foot 4, he gives Leeds a physical presence they currently lack up front. His goals-per-90-minute rate of 0.62 places him 12th among Championship strikers this season, and he presses hard from the front and pulls defenders out of shape, which is exactly what a team in Leeds’s position need. He scored five goals in his first nine international appearances for the United States, which tells you the confidence levels are high. He is also only 25, under contract at Derby until 2029, and operating in only his first season of English football after arriving from MLS. Patrick has plenty more to give as he settles into English football.

That said, there are real questions worth asking. Agyemang has never played at the Premier League level. The Championship, even a strong one, does not guarantee a player can handle the pace, intensity, and defensive organisation of the top flight. His finishing can be streaky, and his shot accuracy this season sits at a modest 37.5 per cent. For a striker asking for a fee that will likely exceed £15 million by the time summer arrives, that is not a number that fills you with confidence.

My honest view is this: if Leeds stay up, they should monitor Agyemang closely but think twice before going all-in on him straight away. Crystal Palace, with Premier League security, superior resources, and a clearer sporting vision right now, look better placed to win this race. Palace can offer him a platform with a settled Premier League setup around them. Leeds, if they scrape through this season, would be dropping him straight into a mess.

If Derby fall short of the playoffs, they currently sit three points outside the top six with several clubs breathing down their necks, Derby will find it very hard to hold on to him. In that scenario, expect Palace to move first and fastest. Leeds would need to act quickly and convincingly with their financial offer to stand a chance. The World Cup, if it goes well for Agyemang, changes everything and takes his asking price beyond what Leeds can realistically put on the table while rebuilding under Premier League pressure.

For now, the smart move for Leeds is to keep their name in the conversation, stay on top of his progress, but not let the threat of Palace spook them into overpaying in the summer window.