Crystal Palace transfer news: Eagles 'could be blown out the water' by Newcastle for £20m ace

Crystal Palace could be ‘blown out of the water’ by Premier League rivals Newcastle United in their bid to sign Arsenal frontman Eddie Nketiah, according to The Sun journalist Tom Barclay.

Patrick Vieira was appointed as the Eagles’ manager in July but he has failed with several attempts to lure Nketiah to Selhurst Park.

According to Sky Sports, Palace saw a bid for Nketiah rejected by Arsenal in the final moments of the January transfer window.

The report suggests the Eagles were also made to contend with another proposal being pushed back earlier in the month.

It came after the south Londoners opted to splash the cash on Odsonne Edouard after refusing to meet Arsenal’s £20million price tag for Nketiah last August.

Palace are not the frontman’s only Premier League suitors as Newcastle United opened talks over a move last month, while West Ham United were also understood to be interested in taking the 22-year-old on loan until the end of the season.

Nketiah’s £45,000-per-week contract is set to expire in the summer and, as a result, overseas clubs are already able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement.

Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen are known to be keen on attracting Nketiah to a move away from the Premier League.

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Barclay believes Palace may be unable to compete with Newcastle if they rival them for Nketiah’s signature in the summer.

It comes after the Magpies became the richest club in world football following a £305million takeover led by the Saudi Arabia-based Public Investment Fund last October.

Barclay told GIVEMESPORT: “Obviously, they want Nketiah and he is out of contract. But so do a lot of other clubs, like Leverkusen.

“I think he wants to go to a Champions