Everton and Newcastle poised to swoop for Uche following his torrid time at Palace

ENGLISH Premier League sides Everton and Newcastle United have emerged as the leading contenders to sign Nigerian forward Uche Christantus when his loan spell at Crystal palace ends next week.

A creative playmaker, Uche, 22, was signed by Palace last year and moved to Selhurst Park on September 1, as the Eagles eventually succeeded in wooing him from his Spanish club Getafe. Uche was secured on loan until June 2026, with Palace then under an obligation to buy him for a fee of around £17.3m at the end of the season if he started up to 10 Premier League matches.

However, Uche who has not played at all over the last two months, has had a torrid time in southeast London, finding it hard to get playing time or even a place in match-day squads at all. All season, Uche has only made 22 appearances in all competitions for Palace with almost all of them involving him coming off the bench and he is still waiting for his first Premier League start.

In total, he played only 169 league minutes and failed to reach the required 10 starts needed to activate Crystal Palace’s permanent transfer clause. It had been expected that Uche would return to Getafe after the Premier League season ends tomorrow but the La Liga are apparently keen to sell him to ease their financial pressure.

Aware of this, over the last few weeks, Newcastle and Everton have stepped up their enquiries about Uche and could now strike a deal with Getafe who are looking for a permanent sale worth between €16m and €20m. Both Premier League clubs believe they could secure a bargain for a player who still possesses enormous potential.

Standing at 1.90 metres tall, Uche offers power, energy and tactical flexibility. Although naturally a central or defensive midfielder, he has also operated as a box-to-box midfielder, winger and even as a physical striker during his time in Spain.

Everton see him as a player capable of adding strength and depth to the middle of the pitch while also providing emergency attacking options. Newcastle, meanwhile, admire his athleticism, tackling ability and physical intensity and the club needs more squad depth, which  Uche provides.

Although Spanish clubs such as Atlético Madrid and Real Betis monitored Uche during his time in Spain, he is believed to still prefer a long-term career in England. His lack of game time at Palace badly affected his standing with the Super Eagles coaching staff, as Uche no longer gets invites to camp.