Nationwide League: Palace complete Akinbiyi move

Crystal Palace today completed the signing of Leicester striker Ade Akinbiyi for £2.2m.

Akinbiyi will cost the Nationwide Division One club another £150,000 should they win promotion to the premiership within the next three years.

Having joined Leicester for a club record £5m 18 months ago, Akinbiyi has struggled in the top flight.

He scored nine Premiership goals last season and found the net only three times during the current campaign which sees Leicester bottom of the table.

Akinbiyi was even kept out of the City side by rookie striker Matthew Piper against Chelsea last Saturday.

But he has been admired for a long time by Palace manager Trevor Francis, who tried to buy the striker while he was in charge at Birmingham, following Akinbiyi’s 19 goals in Division One for Bristol City during the 1998-99 season and another 16 for Wolves during 1999-2000.