Decoding Why Matt Turner’s Loan Move To Crystal Palace Is a Smart Decision By the USMNT Goalkeeper

Nottingham Forest has decided to loan USMNT goalie Matt Turner to Crystal Palace, and he has gleefully agreed. It’s not a huge relief if we just consider the current Premier League standings. The Forest is PL’s 7th seed, whereas, Palace is a near-to-relegation side, as they are currently the PL’s 17th seed. Anyhow, it is paramount that Turner adds some in-game experience to his name before the USMNT kick-starts a new era with former Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino. This experience would be a luxury for Turner if he stayed in Nottingham. But it is not how things are in the Palace.

What better has Crystal Palace to offer to Matt Turner, who was not even the substitute goalie at Nottingham Forest? No worries, we have you covered, as we dive deeper into the American star’s prospects in Selhurst Park.

More game chances and tournament experience await Matt Turner at Crystal Palace

Within one year of Matt Turner joining Nottingham, they found his replacement. Forest signed Matz Sels in February and their coach Nuno Santo started to favor him over Turner. Eventually, the US goalie also lost the deputy goalkeeper’s role to Carlos Miguel, who joined Nottingham this July. However, in Crystal Palace, he will be coach Oliver Glasner’s second-choice goalkeeper, considering Sam Johnstone joined the Wolves. Besides, the South London side’s main goalie Dean Henderson could need backup as the Premier League goes on. Henderson’s durability is a concern, as he had only once started in more than 20 games in a PL season.

Hence, Turner surely has a better chance of taking the field in Palace’s games rather than Forest’s. Besides, Crystal Palace is thoroughly competing in the EFL Cup. Meanwhile, the Forest got knocked out of the tournament in the second round, losing to Newcastle United in penalties. Gaining high-octane tournament experience is paramount for Turner, considering he needs to prepare for the Mauricio Pochettino era in the USMNT. Adding fuel to these preparations, the Palace has a better chance of going deep in the FA Cup as well.

Matt Turner has no hard feelings for Forest, which loaned him out within a year. Rather, he is eager to start strongly in Selhurst Park.

Matt Turner feels himself to be in a good place, after beating the deadline day to join Palace

Matt Turner had to wait until the transfer deadline day to know about his immediate future. It took a toll on him. But he couldn’t be better. “I’m really excited to be here. The last minutes of any deal get a little bit stressful, but it’s really good to be here now, and I’m just ready to get to work,” Turner told sources close to Crystal Palace.

“I feel like I’m in a really good place to put my best foot forward and really hit the ground running,” he added. As of now, Nottingham Forest is indeed in a better position in the PL table compared to Crystal Palace. But Palace has historically had better finishes than Turner’s parent club. For context, the London-based club finished 10th in the table last season, while Forest was the 17th seed. Turner would be hoping for the tide to turn in Palace’s favor yet again. Otherwise, he’s good to go in Selhurst Park.