Crystal Palace had a very busy summer, as Oliver Glasner takes the reigns for his first full season at the club.
One of the biggest moves at Palace this summer was actually an outgoing, with Michael Olise leaving the club to join Bayern Munich.
However, coming through the door, Palace managed to sign Arsenal striker, Eddie Nketiah for a fee of £25m fixed, with £5m add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Nketiah made 37 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions last season, scoring six goals, providing three assists, and totalling 1,393 minutes played.
For someone who was largely restricted to substitute appearances in north London it will be interesting to see how he fares at Selhurst Park.
Whether he turns out to be better than Alexander Sorloth, however, remains to be seen.
Alexander Sorloth's record at Palace
Sorloth joined Crystal Palace back in 2018 from Midtjylland for a fee of around £9m. However, the Norway international never quite took off for the Eagles, scoring once in 20 appearances for the club.
The striker then endured multiple loan moves, including one to Gent, where he made 22 appearances, scoring five goals, and providing three assists.
A loan move to Turkish side Trabzonspor also occurred, where he made 49 appearances, scoring 33 goals and providing 11 assists.
Eventually, in 2020, Crystal Palace sold Sorloth to RB Leipzig, for a fee of roughly £16.8m, managing to make a profit on the forward, despite his failed stint at the club.
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ByConnor Holden Sorloth's incredible record after leaving Palace
After departing the English capital, Sorloth then spent three years with RB Leipzig, where it never quite worked out for him, only making 38 appearances in total, scoring six goals and providing three assists.
But it was his loan to Real Sociedad which really kicked things off, playing two seasons with the Spanish side on loan, scoring 24 goals in 90 games, and also providing five assists in that time.
Enjoying his time in Spain, Sorloth made a permanent move from Leipzig to Villarreal in 2023, having his best campaign since his Trabzonspor loan spell back in 2019. During the 2023/24 season, the 28-year-old made 41 appearances for Villarreal, scoring 26 goals, and providing six assists.
Goals
0.80
0.38
Assists
0.19
0.19
xG
0.42
0.37
Progressive Carries
1.74
1.94
Progressive Passes
1.52
1.57
Shots Total
2.88
3.14
Shots on Target
1.24
0.96
Goals/Shot
0.28
0.12
Aerials Won
2.80
1.79
At 28 years of age, Sorloth is hitting his prime and scoring at a 0.80 goals per 90 rate, with a 0.28 shots/goal ratio. These are metrics of an elite goalscorer, especially when you factor in his shot volume isn't as high as some forwards, only taking 2.88 shots per 90, compared to Nketiah who takes 3.14 shots per 90.
Standing at 6 foot 4, Sorloth is also an aerial monster, winning 2.80 aerials per 90, and being a top-level box threat, getting on the end of crosses to score headers, and being a hassle for defenders in the penalty area.
The goalscoring form of Sorloth has earned him a big move, with Atlético Madrid buying the Norway striker for £29m. Perhaps one for Palace to look back on with regret, or perhaps the exact route Sorloth needed to find this level of success.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.