Crystal Palace have completed the acquisition of Japanese defender Takehiro Tomiyasu after he underwent a trial period with the club. The 27-year-old, who recently served as part of Japan’s World Cup squad this summer, arrives as a free agent following a stint with Ajax during the second half of last season. Tomiyasu is capable of playing as a full-back or centre-back and represents the second addition to the squad under newly appointed manager Pierre Sage, following the earlier signing of Oscar Mingueza. The club has not disclosed contract details.
The defensive reinforcement comes as Palace seeks to address their backline following the departure of first-choice centre-back Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea. Tomiyasu brings substantial experience from his time with Arsenal, where he made 84 appearances across all competitions between 2021 and 2025, along with previous stints at Bologna and Sint-Truiden. Palace chairman Steve Parish praised the defender’s credentials, noting his experience at elite levels of European and international competition.
New manager Sage has taken over from Olivier Glasner, who guided the Eagles to significant success in recent seasons, capturing the FA Cup and Conference League titles plus the Community Shield over the past two seasons. The upcoming campaign presents additional challenges, as Palace compete in European football for another year following their Conference League victory, which carries financial obligations under Uefa’s stricter spending regulations.
The club must navigate Uefa’s squad cost ratio requirements, which limit spending on wages, transfers and agent fees to 70% of club revenue—stricter than the Premier League’s 85% threshold for non-European competitors. Palace have executed transfer business efficiently thus far, securing both Tomiyasu and Mingueza on free transfers, while reportedly pursuing additional targets including Real Salt Lake winger Zavier Gozo and Chelsea defender Josh Acheampong on loan. The club also retains interest in Brest centre-back Raphael le Guen.
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