Crystal Palace have announced the signing of former Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu on a free transfer after he impressed the club in pre-season in the Como Cup. 

The 27-year-old is bought in to contribute to Palace’s backline depth, and can operate across the back three. His injury issues have limited his game time over the last couple of seasons, but Palace will be hoping that he can maintain fitness and bring in some real quality and leadership to a backline which lost Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea earlier in the window. 

Tomiyasu and Palace midfielder Daichi Kamada are good friends, and the latter has already penned a new deal keeping him at the club for the upcoming season. 

Arsenal signed the Japanese international for £16 million in 2021 from Italian side Bologna, and despite his recent injury issues, he played at the back end of the Eredivisie season for Ajax before playing for Japan in the World Cup this summer. 

The injury concerns are valid, but if he can stay fit, Tomiyasu will be a really smart signing for Pierre Sage’s team. 

He played a key role for Arsenal between 2022-2024, but a combination of injuries and the arrival of Jurriën Timber limited his game time, and he left for Ajax in December 2025. 

Just seven appearances for the Dutch side later, and a World Cup in between, Tomiyasu becomes the second official arrival of the Pierre Sage era, and will join up with Japanese international Kamada as the duo will hope for a successful season together in South London. 

He didn’t feature too much during Palace’s Como Cup group stage, but played in the fifth place play-off against Al Ula. He has clearly done enough to impress Sage and has therefore earned himself a deal. 

Tomiyasu will wear the number 17 shirt, and upon signing, said “I am excited to start. This is a club in a good moment, winning three titles in two seasons. Here is where I wanted to be.”