Crystal Palace manager confirms interest in RB Leipzig youngster

Crystal Palace manager Frank de Boer has confirmed the club are interested in handing RB Leipzig misfit Oliver Burke a route back to England this summer.

Burke joined the Bundesliga side from Nottingham Forest in a shock deal worth in excess of £10m 12 months ago but has struggled to make any impact in Germany.

Leipzig have reportedly told Burke he is free to leave the club this summer and now Palace have emerged as serious contenders for his signature.

“We only want players who can really contribute to the squad,” the London Evening Standard quote De Boer as saying ahead of Saturday’s trip to Liverpool.

“You’re not going to throw money away, it has to be a quality player who can directly fit into the way we are playing and he has to be 100 per cent fit.

“He (Burke) is a very young, promising Scottish player. He’s from Great Britain so it’s always interesting to see those kind of players.

Palace have made a disastrous start to the season after losing 3-0 at home to newly promoted Huddersfield on the opening weekend and have now been dealt a blow with star man Wilfried Zaha out for four weeks with a knee injury.

De Boer has only managed to make three signings since taking charge at Selhurst Park, two of those have been defenders.

Burke made 25 appearances in the his first ever top-flight campaign last season but only five of those came as a starter. In fact, only Nils Petersen (26) was subbed on more times than Burke (20) in the Bundesliga last term.