Allardyce explains how Jeff Schlupp is worth £12m
Crystal Palace have signed midfielder Jeffrey Schlupp from Leicester on a four-and-a-half year deal.
The Ghana midfielder leaves the Premier League champions to join the Eagles’ relegation scrap in a reported £12million transfer and is the first major signing for new Palace manager Sam Allardyce.
German-born Schlupp came through the Leicester youth ranks and helped the club secure a shock title success in May 2016, but the 24-year-old winger has seen his chances of regular action with Claudio Ranieri’s side limited this season.
A post on the official Crystal Palace Twitter feed read: “#CPFC are delighted to announce the signing of @Jeffrey_Schlupp from @LCFC on a four-and-a-half year deal!”
Leicester’s asking price for Schlupp was around £12million – with the Foxes having rejected that amount from West Brom in the summer.
The Baggies retained an interest this month but had doubts over paying the fee and he was not a top priority while Aston Villa also failed in an attempt to convince him to drop down to the Sky Bet Championship.
Schlupp joins Palace ahead of Saturday’s Premier League trip to West Ham with the Eagles a point above the relegation zone.
Palace boss Allardyce told the club’s official website: “I am delighted we have been able to secure Jeffrey’s services, he is a player I have admired for some time and is a talented and athletic player. He will bring strength and experience to the defence and will be a major asset for the club having just turned 24-years-old.”
The Ghana international helped the Foxes to a shock Premier League title last season but made just one league start under Ranieri this term, his last appearance coming in December’s 5-0 Champions League defeat in Porto.
Ranieri confirmed on Thursday he was prepared to let Schlupp go for the right price after he fell behind Ben Chilwell and Christian Fuchs in the pecking order.
He scored a hat-trick on his Leicester debut – a 4-1 League Cup win over Rotherham in 2011 – and made 150 appearances for the Foxes, netting 15 goals.