Crystal Palace made one final attempt to sign Alieu Njie on the morning of his Fiorentina medical, according to the player’s agent.
The Eagles’ interest in the 21-year-old Torino winger was well documented during the summer window, with Palace making offers before Njie eventually chose Fiorentina.
We reported towards the end of the window that the Sweden Under-21 international wanted the move to Florence.
It now appears Palace went back in even later than previously known.
Palace tried to hijack Njie deal
Speaking to Italian outlet ViolaNews, Njie’s agent Sandro Martone revealed that Palace submitted a fresh proposal on the very morning his client was undergoing his Fiorentina medical.
Martone said the Eagles matched the figure offered by Fiorentina sporting director Fabio Paratici, despite the deal with the Serie A club already being widely reported as agreed.
But Njie’s mind was made up.
“The young player’s style is a great fit for the Premier League, but Alieu made a clear choice: he really wanted to join Fiorentina,” Martone said.
The agent also confirmed that West Ham had made an official offer to Torino, while Salzburg had previously come close to signing Njie.
Palace’s interest, though, clearly went beyond simply keeping tabs on the winger.
They were still trying to get him to Selhurst Park when he had reached the medical stage of his Fiorentina move.
Njie ultimately joined the Italian club and has already made his debut, but Palace’s last-gasp attempt gives a clearer indication of just how keen they were to sign him.
