This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Crystal Palace are in a strong position to sign Malcolm Ebiowei this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The 18-year-old caught the eye in the second half of the season at Derby County, and will be available at a reduced price due to the Rams being unable to offer him a new contract.

Ebiowei only made 16 league appearances and Wayne Rooney integrated him gradually, but by the end of the season he was of the most exciting players to watch in the division and it is not a surprise to see Premier League interest emerge.

Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise have shown that there is a pathway to the first team for younger players, without previous top-flight experience, at Palace, and that will make it an attractive option for the teenager.

We gathered the thoughts of a selection of FLW writers to see if they believe that Ebiowei would be a smart addition for the Eagles...

Simmey Hannifin-Donaldson

Crystal Palace should not expect an immediate impact from Malcolm Ebiowei should they sign him, but in the long term, it could be a great deal.

Having made just 16 senior appearances in his career, the 18-year-old's life as a senior footballer is still in its tender stages, but Selhurst Park under Patrick Vieira could be a fantastic environment in which to continue his development.

A move to Manchester United would be great, but you would think the Crystal Palace route would offer a much better chance at first-team Premier League football, with Manchester United stacked full of multi-million pound signings in Ebiowei's position.

Not only that, but we've seen players from the EFL thrive at Selhurst Park in recent years after making the step up to the top-flight.

There is no reason Ebiowei could not do the same.

Carla Devine

Although Ebiowei only made 16 Championship appearances this season, having scored once and assisted twice in that time is an indication of his footballing ability, especially in his first year of first team football.

It’s clear the player has a lot of potential and given he is still just 18-years-old he has even more room to develop himself as a player and progress further.

Patrick Vieira has done well with his young players this season and shown he has a knack for bringing out potential which therefore could make Selhurst Park a good destination for the player.

However, at this point you’ve got to consider whether he would be getting regular football and if the answer is no then is it worth that experience drying up for him?

 

 

Declan Harte

This would be a really exciting next step for Ebiowei in his career.

Palace have been a great home for top EFL talent in recent seasons.

The team has also improved greatly in the last 12 months under Patrick Vieira.

This would be a very enticing project for the 18-year old to join, where he would likely also receive his fair share of playing time.

While he may only be a squad player at first, he would more than likely be given the opportunity to prove himself at Premier League level under the Frenchman.

This would be a great home to continue his development as a player while also gaining excellent experience at an elite level.