As well as going through the meticulous and exhaustive process of pinpointing the right man to succeed Roy Hodgson, Crystal Palace must begin to make inroads in the fiercely competitive transfer market.

The midfield has already undergone huge change via the departures of Luka Milivojevic and James McArthur leaving a lack of depth in the centre of the park.

Steve Parish has never been a notoriously big-spending owner as the club often targets attainable, affordable, and realistic options – the next name to fit this bill is Ellyes Skhiri.

What’s the latest on Ellyes Skhiri to Crystal Palace?

According to Tuttomercatoweb (via Sport Witness), the Eagles have been “strongly” following the Koln midfielder, who has a “dream” to play in the Premier League.

Alongside the South Londoners, AC Milan are also vying for the 28-year-old’s signature, who is seen as a “market opportunity” due to his availability as a free agent upon the expiration of his contract on 30 June.

The Rossoneri have reportedly offered the Tunisian a three-year deal with the option of a fourth, so Palace will need to match or better this offer, with Skhiri expected to make a decision in the coming days.

How would Ellyes Skhiri fit in at Crystal Palace?

The £28k-per-week star made 32 Bundesliga appearances this season, scoring seven times.

The 54-cap international has demonstrated himself as a phenomenal all-rounder, averaging 2.5 tackles, 1.8 interceptions, 1.3 dribbles, and 1.3 clearances per game. Combine these statistics with his goals, and you have a threatening pivot with punishing physicality that could seamlessly slot into the Palace side.

Aptly described as “big and strong” by Koln coach Steffen Baumgart, the former Tunisian Footballer of the Year international ranks impressively across the continent as he sits within the top 15% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for non-penalty goals per 90, blocks per 90, and interceptions per 90.

Thus, after assessing his impressive profile, Skhiri makes for a perfect partner for Cheick Doucouré.

The 23-year-old joined Palace last summer for £22m and has swiftly established himself as an indispensable member of the team.

Last season, he averaged the most tackles (2.3) and interceptions (1.6) in the squad and the Eagles lost three of the four matches that Doucouré didn’t play in.

His ability to sniff out danger, read the game, and win possession perhaps goes under the radar but is of undeniable importance to the Eagles.

With this spectacular solid spine potentially protecting Palace’s backline, it creates a foundation that will allow the creative influences of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise to flourish spectacularly under any new manager.