Crystal Palace & West Ham Among Clubs Keen on Signing Liverpool Full-Back Nathaniel Clyne

Tranmere Rovers v Liverpool - Pre-Season Friendly
Tranmere Rovers v Liverpool - Pre-Season Friendly / James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images
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Crystal Palace and West Ham are set to battle it out for the signature of Liverpool right-back Nathaniel Clyne, who is likely to become a free agent at the end of the season.

A combination of injuries and the emergence of Trent Alexander-Arnold has meant the 29-year-old has been surplus to requirements in Jurgen Klopp's side and he's yet to make an appearance this season following the long-term knee injury he sustained in July last year.

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The full-back initially started out as a key cog in Klopp's Liverpool wheel after he joined from Southampton in 2015.

He made 70 Premier League appearances in his first two seasons at Anfield but has made just seven since, also enjoying a successful loan spell at Bournemouth for the second half of the 2018/19 campaign.

Despite his injury woes, Goal believe both Crystal Palace and West Ham are prepared to make a run at the soon-to-be free agent at the end of the never-ending campaign. A return to the Cherries, meanwhile, is also said to be a possibility.

The report notes that Clyne could be the cheap solution to West Ham's ongoing problems at right-back, which saw young Jeremy Ngakia step into the breach prior to the season being paused. 35-year-old Pablo Zabaleta will depart following the expiration of his contract in the summer, while first-choice Ryan Fredericks has battled fitness issues this term.

Nathaniel Clyne made 137 senior appearances for Crystal Palace after graduating from the academy
Nathaniel Clyne made 137 senior appearances for Crystal Palace after graduating from the academy / Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Palace, meanwhile, are pondering a deal which could see the Englishman return to Selhurst Park eight years after he departed the club to join Southampton for just shy of £3m.

Nevertheless, with the coronavirus pandemic set to bring significant financial restraints to football clubs universally, free-agents such as Clyne will likely be in high demand. Wherever he ends up, a return to playing regularly will be the number one priority after a sustained run of injury problems.