‘I’ve watched Charlie Hughes closely, this is why he’s perfect for Crystal Palace’
Crystal Palace have set their sights on a move to sign Hull City defender Charlie Hughes in the wake of Marc Guehi’s £20million move to Man City.
Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that the 22-year-old would be the perfect successor to the Crystal Palace captain.
This comes after Brown told Football Insider that Crystal Palace scouts have been tracking Hughes and have been impressed by his recent performances.
He is comfortable and composed on the ball, able to step in to midfield to assist in the build-up, while he is the vice-captain at Hull despite his young age.
Palace, meanwhile, have a good record at recruiting from the Championship, with the likes of Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise and Adam Wharton signed out of the second tier.
Charlie Hughes backed to make Crystal Palace move
Brown has watched Hughes closely during his time at both Wigan and Hull, and is very well-connected at the latter having represented them in his playing career.
The former scout believes a move to Crystal Palace would be perfect for the centre-back, who could be set to make the next step in his development.
“Charlie Hughes would be a perfect option for Crystal Palace,” he told Football Insider.
“He got a move from Wigan to Hull, established himself as a big part of the Hull team, and a move to Crystal Palace would be the logical next step.
“It would allow him to go into the Premier League and continue his development.
“He’s a very good footballer, happy and comfortable on the ball, he steps into midfield to get involved in the play and he’s a leader as well.
“When I watched him, I wasn’t totally convinced by his defensive qualities, but it’s something he’s been working on and improving every week with Hull.
“The other thing would be question marks about his aerial ability, but it’s not a major concern.
“Everybody at Hull has good things to say about him, he’s very highly regarded there.
“He’s very easy on the eye, glides around the pitch, like I said he takes the ball and uses it well, he’s clever with his play and has a lot of quality to his game.
“So he’s somebody who will definitely have caught the eye at Palace where they’re looking for somebody to come in and play the role that Marc Guehi played.”
Could Gareth Southgate be the next Crystal Palace manager?
While transfer speculation continues to rumble on at Selhurst Park, there is also a focus on their next managerial appointment with Oliver Glasner leaving at the end of the season.
Gareth Southgate has been linked with the Crystal Palace job, but sources say that it would take a “really impressive project” for him to be tempted into an imminent return.
Football Insider revealed on 20 January that Southgate is not seeking a return to management in the near future, despite the links with Palace.
The former England boss is currently enjoying his time away from football and is in no rush to find a way to return to the managerial hot seat any time soon.
Southgate hasn’t managed in the Premier League since 2009, and is not pushing to get back into club management at the moment.
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