September 18 2003

Ade Akinbiyi

The completion of Ade Akinbiyi's free transfer to Stoke City could finally hand Palace boss Steve Kember the chance to sign a left-sided player.

Kember has said all season that he needed to reduce the wage bill before he could make any new signings, and the departure of Palace’s mis-firing £2.3m striker is a significant step in that direction.

The 28-year-old striker has completed a permanent move to Stoke for an ‘undisclosed fee’ and signed a three-year contract following a successful loan spell at the Britannia Stadium last season.

Palace chairman Simon Jordan finally agreed a contract settlement with Akinbiyi last week to push the move through and may now be ready to help Kember capitalise on a promising start to the new season, by allowing him to bring in a new player on loan or on a free transfer.

Kember says he has a list of candidates he wants to replace Julian Gray, but is staying tight-lipped as to who they are until he gets his man.

Kember’s friendship with Birmingham boss Steve Bruce may help him land 23-year-old Curtis Woodhouse who went on loan to Rotherham last season and has not figured for the Blues this season.

Wolves' former Wimbledon winger Kevin Cooper, 28, has struggled to hold down a first team place since Mark Kennedy joined the club and may be available on loan.

Leicester's 21-year-old Jordan Stewart is another loan option, while if Kember looks to strengthen his defence, Portsmouth’s 30-year-old defender Linvoy Primus has found his first team chances limited by a number of new arrivals this summer.

Out-of-contract Gray meanwhile is still training with Blackburn, as he bids to finds a club willing to meet Palace’s £500,000 compensation valuation.

Charlton recently increased their "derisory" £150,000 bid, but it is hoped cash-rich Blackburn will stump up the full amount.