Goalkeeper Julian Speroni, 39, to play first game in 13 months at Liverpool
Friday 18 January 2019 14:48, UK
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has revealed he expects goalkeeper Lucas Perri to be the club's only January signing, although he admitted he would like to bring in a midfielder and striker.
Palace are close to securing Perri on loan from Sao Paulo until the end of the season and it is understood they would have an option to buy the 21-year-old goalkeeper at an agreed price of around £3m.
Beyond that though, Hodgson does not believe there will be any further additions to the squad.
"We have two more weeks like everybody else; the work will continue if there are more possibilities that suit us, so nothing changes in that respect," he said.
"But to say I'm expecting it, I'd have to have a definite name in the frame who is on the verge of signing and that's not the case."
He added: "We'd like to add a midfielder and striker ideally… on loan deals only, not to buy."
Hodgson confirmed the process of trying to bring Perri to the club on a loan-move had been lengthy.
His arrival would provide goalkeeping support - following the injuries to Vicente Guaita and Wayne Hennessy, who are both ruled out for around four weeks each.
"It's taken strangely enough this amount of time to bring the move about," he said.
"It's quite a coincidence it's happened with the two injuries to the goalkeepers, the two events are in no way aligned except that it's taken us some time for the loan deal with his club in South America to be sorted out."
Julian Speroni, 39, will make his first start since December 2017 against Liverpool with Perri not expected to complete his move in time to feature at Anfield.
