Palace signs Van Aanholt for fee that could reportedly reach £14M

Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce has reunited himself with Patrick van Aanholt after the left-back completed a transfer from Sunderland on Monday.

The fee for the move could eventually rise to £14 million, reports BBC Sport, and the 26-year-old inked a four-and-a-half year contract at Selhurst Park.

"I am delighted that Patrick has joined us. We had great success together at Sunderland where he was instrumental in keeping them in the Premier League last season," Allardyce said.

"He will add pace and energy to our team, has strong defensive qualities, and has the added ability to score and create goals."

Van Aanholt, who began his career at Chelsea and was loaned out to various clubs including Coventry City, Leicester City, and Vitesse Arnhem, will help fill the potential void left by Pape Souare, the Senegalese who may be set for an early retirement following a car crash.

The most regularly deployed player at left-back in light of Souare's injury was Martin Kelly, the ex-Liverpool trainee who only made 11 starts the previous season.

Allardyce could be a busy man ahead of Tuesday's transfer deadline, as he looks to correct the club's standing of 18th in the Premier League. Both Arsenal outcast Carl Jenkinson and former Juventus defender Martin Caceres are linked with shifts to Croydon.

"We have other priorities at the moment. Who knows what might happen, but not for now," Allardyce replied when asked for an update on the Jenkinson interest.

"Caceres is one who may appear after the window as he's not attached to a club. Yes, I have an interest.

"We're still hunting for at least two players. We're sitting with as many people as we possibly can."