Ex-Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu trains with Crystal Palace ahead of possible move | OneFootball

Former Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is training with Crystal Palace as the free agent weighs a possible summer move. The 27-year-old is working with the squad in Como during pre-season.

He was named on the bench for Palace’s Como Cup opener against RC Lens on Tuesday. The Athletic reports Chelsea are finalising a £52 million move for France international Maxence Lacroix, leaving Palace set to lose the centre-back.

Clubs in England and across Europe have registered interest as he considers his next step. He is keen to return to the Premier League, and Palace are providing a high-level set-up to maintain and improve his fitness.

Tomiyasu left Arsenal in July 2025 after a mutual agreement to terminate his deal one year early. He had not featured since October 2024 and underwent knee surgery in February 2025.

Signed from Bologna in 2021, he made 84 appearances for Arsenal, scoring two goals and supplying six assists, with injuries disrupting his later seasons. He joined Ajax in December on a six-month contract, played nine times, and was recalled by Japan for the 2026 World Cup, featuring three times as they exited to Brazil in the last 32.

Palace are playing two 45-minute matches in the Como Cup on Tuesday, against Lens and Portuguese side Famalicao. The UEFA Conference League winners are assessing replacements for Lacroix, including Augsburg’s Chrislain Matsima, with Trabzonspor’s Chibuike Nwaiwu an alternative if a deal for Matsima cannot be struck.

Source: NY Times