The dark cloud hanging over the seemingly inevitable exit of Crystal Palace legend Wilfried Zaha has served as an excellent distraction to the more under-the-radar saga surrounding Marc Guehi.

The Englishman is attracting considerable interest, with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Arsenal all “monitoring” his situation.

If the former Chelsea youth follows in Zaha’s footsteps and departs Selhurst Park, then owner Steve Parish will need to find a suitable replacement.

However, it appears that this process is already well underway, with the club identifying Perr Schuurs as their primary defensive target.

What’s the latest on Perr Schuurs to Crystal Palace?

According to Tuttosport (via The Hard Tackle), the Eagles, as well as top-flight rivals West Ham United and Liverpool are all targeting the 23-year-old, who could be available for €40m (£35m).

Due to both their competitors being able to offer European football, it will be an extremely difficult deal for the southeast London outfit to navigate.

Why should Crystal Palace sign Perr Schuurs?

The 23-year-old began his career in his native Netherlands and moved to Ajax in 2018. During this spell, he made 95 appearances for the club, winning three Eredivisie titles, two KNVB Cups, and a Johan Cruyff Shield.

Internationally, the 6 foot 3 “mountain” – as hailed by journalist Josh Bunting – was also making a name for himself, having been called up to the senior squad in 2020 and being named in the UEFA European U21 Championship Team of the Tournament in 2021.

The defender then permanently transferred to Torino in the summer of 2022, which is where he has played his best football. Last season, in 30 Serie A appearances, Schuurs averaged 3.2 clearances and 1.7 tackles per game, without making any errors leading to a shot or a goal.

These statistics mean that the centre-back ranks impressively across the continent as he sits within the best 22% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for pass completion per 90, tackles per 90, and successful take-ons per 90.

This range of metrics demonstrates that he is a physical and dominant force, whilst also being an impeccably competent ball-carrier.

A player of this quality is more than capable of replicating the role of Guehi and his sturdy partnership with Joachim Andersen.

The former Fulham captain is a formidably consistent performer for Palace, playing in 66 of the club’s last 76 top-flight games.

Last term, he was the defender with the highest average rating (6.82) in the Premier League, winning 72% of his aerial duels, making no errors leading to shots or goals, and averaging 80% pass accuracy, as per Sofascore.

Andersen’s former coach, Svend Graversen, has hailed the Dane’s mentality and composure, saying:

“He’s always been very good on the long passes. Growing up, what I liked was that he took full responsibility to bring the ball through the lines.

“He was the leader in defence — I put him at centre-back but he was normally a midfielder. You could see the calmness on the ball, his awareness, especially the space in front of him in the defence was very good.

“There was the potential to be a top defender. As an under-17, he was the best in the league. Even though the national team couldn’t see it right away, he was on another level.”

Therefore, the possible exit could be softened by the possibility of a glimmering partnership between Andersen and Schuurs.