Crystal Palace have finalised the capture of Japan international Takehiro Tomiyasu after he completed a trial period with the club.
The 27-year-old, who became available on a free transfer following his stint with Ajax during the latter part of last term, featured in Japan’s World Cup party during the summer.
The ex-Arsenal utility defender, capable of operating at either full-back or central defence, becomes Pierre Sage’s second acquisition since taking over as Eagles manager, following the arrival of Oscar Mingueza. The south London club have yet to specify the duration of Tomiyasu’s contract.
Palace sought to bolster their backline following the departure of primary centre-back Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea.
Tomiyasu accumulated 84 appearances across all competitions during his time at Arsenal from 2021 to 2025, having earlier represented Bologna and Sint-Truiden.
Chairman Steve Parish commented that Tomiyasu brings know-how from the top echelons of both European and international football.
French manager Sage replaced Olivier Glasner, who guided the Eagles to the first major honours in their history during the past two campaigns, clinching the FA Cup, Conference League and Community Shield.
Tomiyasu stated that the club finds itself in an excellent position, having secured three pieces of silverware within two years, and that this was precisely where he aimed to continue his career.
Palace are also exploring the possibility of securing Chelsea defender Josh Acheampong on loan, while BBC Sport reported last month that the club maintain significant interest in Brest centre-back Raphael le Guen.
This campaign sees Palace competing in the Europa League after their Conference League triumph last season, which brings certain financial responsibilities.
The club must adhere to Uefa’s squad cost ratio regulations when conducting business during this transfer period. These requirements are more stringent than Premier League rules, restricting expenditure on wages, transfers and agent commissions to 70 percent of club revenue. In the Premier League, teams not participating in European competition may allocate up to 85 percent of their earnings.
Uefa expresses concern that smaller clubs regularly encounter difficulties, as they must increase investment to assemble a squad capable of competing in European competition yet cannot commit the same proportion of revenue as their domestic rivals.
Palace have yet to commit to any transfer fee during this window but are progressing towards an agreement for 19-year-old Real Salt Lake wide player Zavier Gozo.
The club have demonstrated shrewd transfer activity by securing Tomiyasu without a transfer fee and Mingueza following the conclusion of his Celta Vigo contract.
There remains potential for the Eagles to offload one or two squad members to raise funds, with Brennan Johnson attracting attention despite only joining the club in January.