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Carlton Palmer has given his verdict on Ross McCrorie's potential Robins departure this summer

Carlton Palmer has suggested Bristol City won't stand in Ross McCrorie's way if Crystal Palace offer him a route to the Premier League and offer the right price amid reports of summer interest.

McCrorie is a versatile player who can feature in a number of different positions but has mainly been used as a right-wing-back by Liam Manning in recent times at Ashton Gate. That impressive versatility, and his clear quality, has seemingly alerted the Eagles to his potential availability in the summer.

The 26-year-old made his name at his boyhood club Rangers as a youngster, amid notable loan spells with Portsmouth and Aberdeen from 2019 to 2021, before his move to the latter was made permanent in February 2021. He spent two-and-a-half years with the Dons before joining Bristol City on a three-year deal in 2023 for an initial fee of £2 million.

Carlton Palmer issues verdict on potential Ross McCrorie, Crystal Palace switch

McCrorie did not make his Robins debut until January last year, after suffering from a bone infection in his first six months at the club, but he has battled back over the last 12 months to become a regular in Liam Manning's Championship squads.

He has not been a consistent starter in the second tier this season, however, and so it did come as somewhat of a shock to see Palace linked with his signature by the Daily Record last week, who claim that the Selhurst Park outfit are keeping tabs on McCrorie ahead of the summer window after their scouting team were impressed by his performances this season.

The one-cap Scotland international has played 16 times in all competitions so far this term amid more injury issues, with a run of form in recent months that has seen him start eight of the last 12 Championship games.

Former England international Palmer has urged suggested Bristol City will not stand in McCrorie's way if Palace's interest materalises into a move this summer, while he also believes that the 26-year-old has what it takes to make the step-up to the top flight if he does leave Ashton Gate ahead of next season.

“Crystal Palace have been watching Ross McCrorie at Bristol City, who has been in outstanding form, which has brought him to the attention of a lot of Premier League scouts," Palmer exclusively told FLW.

“He has some of the best stats among right-sided defenders in the Championship. I think Bristol City obviously won’t want to stand in the lad’s way if he is given the opportunity to go and play in the Premier League.

“It’ll be one of those where they wait and see where the money comes in, and how much they can get for him, to see whether it’s worth doing business.

“Is he good enough for the Premier League? I think the way he is playing, you will never ever know until he has played there, but he is a Scottish international and he has been outstanding in the Championship this season.

“I think he should be plenty good enough to deal with the Premier League, given his performances in the Championship, but we’ll have to wait and see.

“Bristol City are in the position that they’re in, if they get good money for him, then 100% (sell him) and let the player go on his way.

“Don’t stand in his way when he has got the opportunity to go and play for a club like Crystal Palace to develop and become a better player in the Premier League.”

Palace move

McCrorie may well have all the tools to become a Premier League player at some point, but a popular phrase in football is that 'availability is the best ability,' and he has been injured all too often in his time at Ashton Gate to be relied on at such a level anytime soon.

His osteomyelitis (bone infection) diagnosis at the very start of his time with City was a real blow, as it left him sidelined for around seven months with little movement on the left side of his lower body.

The 26-year-old impressed as soon as he was able to feature for his new club, and his good performances towards the end of last term saw him picked in Steve Clarke's final 26-man Scotland squad for the 2024 European Championships in Germany, but he has once again been struck by injuries this time around.

He began the season in the treatment room after sustaining a hamstring problem in the week before the Championship kicked off once again in August, then only returned to make his first appearance of the campaign at the start of October.

That revival lasted for just four games, as another hamstring issue forced him off against Leeds United on October 26, and he spent another two months out injured at a crucial time.

He returned to action again around Christmas-time and has enjoyed an extended spell in the team with starts in numerous positions over the last few months, but has seemingly suffered yet another reoccurrence of his hamstring injury in the last week.

Another tweak saw him taken off the pitch in clear pain, this time in last weekend's 1-1 draw against Cardiff, and boss Manning revealed ahead of their game against Middlesbrough last Friday that McCrorie faces six weeks on the sidelines with the same issue that has consistently reared its head throughout this season.

Crystal Palace have aims to be playing European football under Oliver Glasner in the not-too-distant future, as well as competing week-in, week-out in the Premier League. While they may well feel that McCrorie would be a wise addition to their ranks this summer, a move certainly seems unlikely given his troubling injury record.