Crystal Palace Eyeing New No.1 with Spanish GK in Their Sights

The summer transfer window is getting hotter as Crystal Palace and Getafe are both interested in swapping their goalkeepers.

Crystal Palace, the team from South London, are looking to sign David Soria, the reliable keeper of Getafe. The move could be a smart strategy to replace their current goalie, Vicente Guaita.

According to Marca, this Spanish exchange could shake things up at Selhurst Park and Getafe.

The Selhurst Park club offered a new deal to Guaita earlier in the transfer window. But the Spaniard has not signed it yet, despite showing some satisfaction.

The 36-year-old keeper, who has only one year left on his contract, faces uncertainty about his future at the Park.

Interestingly, Guaita’s name has emerged as a potential target for Getafe, who could lose Soria. So, a possible swap of the keepers could happen this summer.

Nottingham Forest were the first to show their interest in Soria, but Crystal Palace also see him as a good option to take over from Guaita, adding more drama to this transfer battle.

Journalist Alvaro Canibe, echoing many others, praises the £25k-per-week man highly, saying, “Thumbs up for David Soria. His great level on the pitch has been surpassed only by his bravery, leadership and attitude off it. This season has shown his importance. Captain without the armband. Huge.”

Soria’s performance in goal is not just talk but backed by the stats. His average Sofascore match rating of 6.97 in the last season makes him Getafe’s second-best player in La Liga.

His skill in saving penalties is remarkable, having stopped four of seven until April 8th, more than any other keeper in Europe’s top five leagues at that point.

With an impressive save percentage of 75.3% per 90 minutes in the past year, Soria ranks in the 81st percentile among his positional peers.

However, Soria does have a weakness. His poor performance in ground passes puts him in the 99th percentile for number of passes launched and only in the 13th percentile for touches per 90.

Still, Soria could be a solid signing for Crystal Palace. His credentials suggest he can compete with Johnstone for a spot in the starting XI in the next season.

In the end, with both Crystal Palace and Getafe keeping their cards close to their chest, only time will tell who will win this game of goalkeeping swaps.