CRYSTAL PALACE are ready to agree a £16million deal with Lille midfielder Ibrahim Amadou.
The Eagles will take Amadou on loan and pay the French side an initial £2m with a view to a permanent deal if they stay up.
French side Lille had turned down previous bids but will take the gamble that Amadou helps Roy Hodgson’s men survive and then sell the player.
Lille are under pressure to balance the books and Amadou is being sacrificed, with Palace long-term admirers of the 24-year-old Cameroon international.
Palace sent a delegation to Lille last week without success but the latest agreement should suit all parties.
Amadou can also fill the void in central defence which is a major plus for Hodgson.
The ex-England gaffer has been stripped to the bare bones in defence with long-term injuries, most notably £26m signing Mamadou Sakho who is out with a serious calf problem.
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Palace also lost veteran defender Scott Dann to a cruciate knee ligament injury during their 0-0 draw with Manchester City on New Years Eve.
Their long list of players on the sidelines has meant Hodgson is only left with James Tomkins, Damien Delaney and makeshift centre-half Martin Kelly.
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