Crystal Palace's return to Premier League football did not go as planned last weekend, as an away day to Arsenal ended in a 5-0 drubbing.
The defeat was the Eagles' tenth this season, so it was no surprise to see the fans voice their displeasure with how the club are handling things, unfurling massive banners calling for change.
While there are rumours of Roy Hodgson's job being on the line and the club potentially being sold, the transfer window represents an opportunity for Steve Parish and Co to give the fans something to smile about.
While they have been linked with Eddie Nketiah this month, they might be better served signing another number nine linked with Selhurst Park, someone who could form a brilliant partnership with Eberechi Eze.
Palace look north of the river for attacking reinforcements
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Crystal Palace are among several Premier League clubs that have "shown an interest" in Chelsea's 22-year-old backup striker, Armando Broja.
Bailey has reported that the Albanian international "doesn't have a long-term future" at Stamford Bridge, and the other interested parties include Wolverhampton Wanderers, Fulham and West Ham United.
The Slough-born forward's contract does run until June 2028, but the Pensioners would be willing to accept offers in the region of £35m – as per Bailey – and would even be willing to let him leave on loan with an obligation to buy.
The latter option could make this transfer a no-brainer for a goal-starved Palace outfit.
How Armando Broja compares to Eddie Nketiah
Hodgson has bags of experience as a top-flight manager and could probably teach a thing or two to every manager in the league, but he has failed to create an effective attack, with the Eagles' 22 goals thus far ranking as the third-worst return in the league this season – ahead of only Burnley and Sheffield United.
With this in mind, the South Londoners would likely see an upturn in form with either Broja or Nketiah in the side, but there is one key reason why the former would be the more intelligent signing: something that is borne out in their underlying numbers.
For as close as the two strikers rank in specific metrics – FBref even consider the Arsenal man the second most similar player to Broja in Europe's top five leagues – the Albanian ace just about comes out ahead overall.
For example, the "complete forward", as he was described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, produces a higher non-penalty expected goal and assist number, more progressive carries per 90, maintains a significantly better passing accuracy and perhaps most beneficial to a side like Palace is the fact that he completes more than three times as many successful take-ons per 90 than the Arsenal ace.
Broja
Nketiah
0.50
0.44
2.20
1.74
1.20
1.47
0.50
0.50
88.3%
79.3%
1.59
2.39
2.60
0.73
2.60
1.83
This willingness and ability to take on defences and, therefore, create spaces for his teammates to run into, could work wonders for the Eagles' other dynamic attackers, such as Eze, who could exploit that vacant space and either have a go at goal himself or provide more clear-cut opportunities for others around him.
The former Queens Park Rangers sensation already sits in the top 11% of midfielders in Europe's top five leagues for successful take-ons per 90, so to have a centre-forward who could match that skill set would surely make Hodgson's frontline much more complicated to defend against.
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Ultimately, something must be done to address Palace's woeful goal record this month, and while either number nine would likely come in and improve that, Broja's ability to get at players more freely than Nketiah, combined with Eze's willingness to do the same could see the Eagles become one of the hardest teams to defend against in the second half of the season.
