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Dominic Solanke was meant to end up at Crystal Palace, and with the 21-year-old striker in need of minutes and Palace in need of goals it seemed the perfect fit for the remainder of the season. That deal, though, appears to have fallen through.
Despite Solanke having reportedly already completed his medical, that deal is now off the table according to The Mail, whose claims appear bolstered by a report out of Germany that says Schalke are now set to bring him in on loan this month.
Bild cast the Bundesliga club as the frontrunners for Solanke’s services, though there would appear to be no shortage of options for the young striker who impressed in limited minutes for Liverpool last year and continues to do so with the England U21s.
An existing relationship between Schalke manager Christian Heidel and Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp is said to play a role, as is the fact that Solanke would be eligible to play for Schalke in the Champions League against Manchester City in February.
Along with the German side, Brighton are reportedly still interested in bringing Solanke in on loan, but if Schalke are committed to giving the young striker playing time it’s difficult to imagine a better place for him to head for the next six months.
Meanwhile, Palace are said to be turning their attention to Michy Batshuayi, still on the books at Chelsea and having struggled in the first half of the season with Valencia, who are said to be willing to terminate his season-long loan.