Palace plot audacious swoop for Man City’s Oscar Bobb as January door creaks open

Crystal Palace are sharpening their pencils for January and Oscar Bobb is the name in bold at the top of the list. The Manchester City winger, rated highly within Pep Guardiola’s ranks, is being monitored closely by Palace, with Fulham and Sevilla also keeping tabs, according to multiple reports. With the window creaking open, this is shaping up to be a proper Premier League tug of war.

The chase for Bobb

Talk out of Manchester suggests City could green-light a move for the 22-year-old either on loan or permanently next month. Palace view Bobb as a more attainable option than Brennan Johnson, whose £50 million valuation at Tottenham is a steep climb for the Selhurst Park board. The logic is sound: get elite-level talent without the elite-level fee.

Make no mistake: if City give Bobb the nod to go in January, the queue will be around the block — Palace have to be at the front, chequebook ready and pitch perfected.

City’s moving parts

One major domino could be Antoine Semenyo. As revealed elsewhere, the Bournemouth forward is understood to favour a move to the Etihad, and there’s talk of a £65m release clause. Should City pull that trigger, space could open up for Bobb to seek regular minutes elsewhere — precisely where Palace’s interest becomes very real.

Is Bobb the answer for Palace?

There’s plenty to like. Bobb has already collected 16 Norway caps (two goals, three assists) and, since joining City from Valerenga in 2019, he’s made 47 appearances under Guardiola with three goals and four assists. This season he’s featured 15 times across competitions, starting nine, and chipped in during the season-opening 4-0 win over Wolves. He’s tidy between the lines, brave on the half-turn and has that City polish in tight spaces — exactly the sort of profile Oliver Glasner can plug into his structured press-and-pounce approach.

Glasner’s priorities and the contract noise

Glasner wants more punch in the final third next month — that much is clear — with reports suggesting Palace’s productivity dipped after summer changes to their creative options. Separately, the Austrian has opted against signing a new deal for now, and the word is he could depart at season’s end when his current terms run their course. That puts a premium on smart January business; get it right, and Palace can keep the momentum rolling regardless of what happens in the dugout.

Other names in the frame

Palace are also being linked with Jorgen Strand Larsen and Joao Gomes as they scope multiple avenues to bolster the squad. There’s even talk they could joust with West Ham for Strand Larsen’s signature. It’s a sensible spread: a dynamic wide man like Bobb plus a robust midfield option would give Glasner gears he simply doesn’t have right now.

The bigger picture

After 17 matches, Palace sit ninth and just three points shy of fourth-placed Chelsea — a table position that demands ambition in the market. Bobb, on the right deal, ticks every box: hunger, technique, and a ceiling that makes accountants smile. A loan with an option would be the ideal Palace special.

Verdict

If City land Semenyo, Bobb becomes the most intriguing winger play of the window for mid-table climbers with Europe in their sights. Palace should move decisively, sell the project, and promise the minutes. Do that, and they’ll have a gem on their hands — and a front line suddenly humming again.

If you fancy a flutter on the January merry-go-round, have a look at the best betting sites before the odds swing.