Marseille defender Hiroki Sakai has been linked with a move to Crystal Palace, with Roy Hodgson looking to bolster his defence, according to the Evening Standard.
The Japanese international has bee on Palace’s radar for a while and, after one of their previous targets, Ryan Fredericks, joined West Ham yesterday, it is now understood that Sakai is a summer target
Joel Ward’s future at Selhurst Park is still unclear, with the full-back yet to sign a new deal, so with the possible departure of the right-back, a move for the Marseille man seems logical.
28-year-old Sakai signed a new deal with the French side last October and is valued at around £12m. He has seen a number of European and Premier League clubs show an interest in his services, including AC Milan, Napoli, Inter Milan, Brighton and Leicester.
The Standard report that it is his ‘preference to play in England’ and that ‘he is seeking an increase on his current salary’, so a move to Palace could be on the cards.
