Matheus Franca finds himself at a critical juncture in his Crystal Palace career.
The Brazilian was a costly addition back in August 2023 as Steve Parish signed off a £26m deal to lure the attacker away from Flamengo.
However, the 22-year-old struggled to assert himself under both Roy Hodgson and Oliver Glasner, also failing to shine back in Brazil while on loan with Vasco da Gama last term.
At this moment in time, the man from Rio de Janeiro only has one goal and two assists in 19 appearances for Crystal Palace.
However, a prediction recently made by Yannick Bolasie – a man who knows what it takes to succeed at Selhurst Park in tough times – should put the fanbase at ease over Franca.
Does Matheus Franca have a future at Crystal Palace? 🇧🇷
Yannick Bolasie backs “great” Matheus Franca to have a “bright future”
Some players simply develop at different speeds. Just look at where Jean-Philippe Mateta is now considering his early days at Crystal Palace, and the same can be said for Daichi Kamada.
Franca – who is still only 22 – may therefore need a bit more time, but Bolasie has already given the £26m man his seal of approval with a comment that should hopefully put some fans at ease.
The former Crystal Palace star knows how highly regarded Franca is in Brazil having spent the last few years of his career playing for Criciuma, Cruzeiro and Chapecoense – and feels he will have a “bright future” despite his slow start in south London.
After Franca scored his first goal for Vasco da Gama recently, Bolasie wrote on Instagram: “Well done my brooo, you deserve it! Keep striving you are a great player with a bright future ahead.”
Pierre Sage could well be the man to get the best out of the South American – although reports in South America seem to think another loan move back to Brazil is on the cards.
The Frenchman showed his ability to revitalise a floundering footballer at RC Lens last season through his work with Florian Thauvin.
The 33-year-old scored 11 goals and provided six assists across 33 appearances in Ligue 1 in his debut campaign despite struggling at Udinese, and also during an underwhelming two-year stint in Mexico with Tigres where his career looked to be fizzling out.
Initial thoughts on Pierre Sage? 🤔
He can boast a 67.5% win ratio from 40 games at RC Lens 😍
If Sage can do that with an old player many thought was finished, there is hope that he can finally start to help the 22-year-old Franca realise his potential.
