"A strange one" - Bristol City bemusement issued amid Ross McCrorie, Crystal Palace links | OneFootball

FLW's Bristol City fan pundit has given his view on Crystal Palace's reported interest in defender Ross McCrorie.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Crystal Palace are reportedly plotting a summer move for Bristol City defender Ross McCrorie.

That's according to the Daily Record, who claim that Palace are keeping tabs on McCrorie ahead of the summer window after their scouting team were impressed by his performances in the Championship this season.

McCrorie is capable of playing at right-back, right wing-back or as a central midfielder, and his strength and pace, as well as his strong defensive stats, are believed to have caught the eye of a number of clubs, including the Eagles.

The 26-year-old joined Bristol City from Aberdeen in the summer of 2023 for an initial fee of £2 million, with a further £1 million in potential add-ons, but he did not make his debut for the club until January 2024 after picking up a bone infection during pre-season.

McCrorie has featured fairly regularly for the play-off chasing Robins this season, but unfortunately for the Scotland international, he has continued to be plagued by injuries, and he is currently facing up to six weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.

Bristol City fan pundit surprised by Ross McCrorie, Crystal Palace speculation

When asked for his thoughts on Palace's reported interest in McCrorie, FLW's Bristol City fan pundit Jack Buchanan admitted he was surprised to see the defender being linked with a move to the Premier League, but he said that the club should still demand between £5 million and £10 million for him in the summer.

"Ross McCrorie has been a bit of a strange one for me at Bristol City," Jack told FLW.

"He's always struggled to get going a little bit.

"We signed him in the summer of 2023, but we didn't get to see him play until half way through the season due to a rare bone infection, it was a really strange injury.

"It was doubtful at times whether he would play again, but he did really well to recover, and he's picked up the odd injury here and there since.

"He's done his hamstring at the moment, so he's out for a few weeks.

"Palace is a bit of a strange one for me, it's come out of nowhere, and it's come outside the window as well, which makes it even weirder.

"Is he capable of starting in the Premier League? Probably not.

"He doesn't even always start for us, George Tanner gets in ahead of him at times, and when he does start, he's very rarely the best player on the pitch.

"Don't get me wrong, he's good, but I don't think he's quite Premier League quality.

"In terms of the transfer fee, if you sell him to the Premier League, you can always get a little bit more because they've got more money, so I'd probably like somewhere between £5 million and £10 million."

Ross McCrorie's injury record could influence Bristol City summer stance

McCrorie has performed well for Bristol City over the past year when fit, but it is difficult to disagree with Jack that it would be a surprise to see Palace make a move for him.

12 of McCrorie's 16 appearances for the Robins this season have come from the start, so he is clearly well-regarded by head coach Liam Manning, but his current injury is his third separate spell on the sidelines since the beginning of the campaign.

City will not be actively looking to cash in on McCrorie in the summer, but given his injury record, if the Eagles were to make a suitable offer for the defender, the club may decide to sanction his departure.