Unsettled Swansea star could be lured back home by Palace boss

Crystal Palace are courting Swansea midfielder Jonjo Shelvey this January according to the Telegraph, in a move which may well appeal to the unsettled Londoner.

Shelvey was given his first-team bow at Charlton under current Eagles boss Alan Pardew back in 2008 and the pair could now be reunited south of the Thames, albeit a little further west.

Much like the Swans in general this season, Shelvey has lost his way somewhat over the course, despite an assured start.

Recently-fired manager Garry Monk had begun to grow disillusioned with the midfielder’s input towards the end of this tenure even though earlier eye-catching displays in the Swans midfield saw Roy Hodgson call him up for the September Euro Championship qualifiers.

Given Shelvey was hauled off after 56 minutes at Palace and then left out of the squad for the trip to Manchester United, he could be feeling like a scapegoat at the Liberty.

This theory would probably be compounded by caretaker boss Alan Curtis saying: “It was purely selection. He played last Monday and for his standards he was a little bit disappointing. It was a pure choice and I do hope he’s part of things going forward.”

Nevertheless, according to the same newspaper, Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins has slapped a £10m price tag on his transfer, with the recent acquisition of England caps a decent bargaining tool in any deal.

Having blooded the 16-year-old Shelvey at the Valley, Pardew has clearly been aware of the midfielder’s career progression, which really lifted off when Liverpool snapped the Harold Hill native up a few years later, before he wound up at the Liberty Stadium in 2013.

With two impressive campaigns under his belt for Swansea heading into the current season, things looked well set for Shelvey to kick on after the potential disappointment of being sold by the Anfield giants.

However, a tumultuous run-up to the festive period appears to have soured his relationship with Swansea and, being a London lad, joining a Palace team on the up may be a very attractive prospect at present.

Money may be the major stumbling block, although the earmarked takeover of Palace should free up funds for Pardew, or the coffers could be loosened with the sale of other star players such as Yannick Bolasie.

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