Crystal Palace are closing in on the £26m signing of Villarreal winger Yeremy Pino following Eberechi Eze’s departure to Arsenal.

The 15-cap Spain international has a reported release clause of £69m but with only two years left on his Villarreal contract Pino could move to Selhurst Park as something of a bargain – but he does not represent a direct replacement for Palace’s former talisman.

Like Eze, Pino is a winger, although he plays on the right, rather than the left. Pino’s natural game means he hugs the touchline rather than drifts into central areas as Eze did to such great effect for the Eagles.

The skillsets of the two attackers also differ. Pino is less of a direct goal threat than Eze and dribbles on far fewer occasions, but he is effective at getting into crossing positions, provides a similar number of assists and is a more tenacious tackler – a facet of Pino’s game that may prove useful for Oliver Glasner’s preference to defend deep, win back possession and counter quickly.

Despite not being a direct Eze replacement, there’s no doubt that Pino could prove to be an astute signing. Since breaking into the Villarreal side in 2021-22, only three players aged under 23 have made more starts in the big five European leagues – despite an ACL injury ruling Pino out of most of the 2023-24 campaign – meaning he is hugely experienced for a player in his age bracket.