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Crystal Palace: Eagles ‘in discussions’ with Naouirou Ahamada
Crystal Palace are ‘in discussions’ with VfB Stuttgart midfielder Naouirou Ahamada over a move which is set to be completed, according to Matt Woosnam.
The Lowdown: Ahamada profiled
Despite his tender years, the 20-year-old has already become a key player for his current side, making 16 starts in the Bundesliga so far this season.
In that time, Ahamada has enjoyed an 85.2% pass completion rate, ranking second any Stuttgart regular, not to mention also averaging one tackle per game in the competition, showing his on and off-the-ball quality.
The youngster’s current Stuttgart deal expires in 2025 but it looks as though a move to the Premier League could be imminent.
The Latest: Palace set to sign midfielder
Taking to Twitter, The Athletic‘s Woosnam claimed that Palace are in ongoing talks with Ahamada over a move to Selhurst Park, with an agreement now close:
“Palace are in discussions with Stuttgart over a deal for 20-year-old midfielder Naouirou Ahamada. In an ideal world they hope to sign a right-back, centre midfielder and striker this window but won’t do deals for the sake of it.”
The Verdict: Long-term addition
Building towards the future at Palace is always vital, rather than simply focusing on the present, and Ahamada is someone who would help that approach come to fruition.
That’s not to say that the three-time capped France Under-18 international would not be an important squad player from the off, however, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig pointing out in 2020 that he part of a ‘crazy’ talented group of young midfielders from his homeland.
Midfield is an area that Palace certainly need to improve in – Jeffrey Schlupp is playing centrally at times currently but is arguably more renowned for being a left-sided player – and Ahamada could help add competition and quality there.
The youngster has plenty of experience as a deep-lying midfielder and in a more advanced box-to-box role, even operating as a ten on a couple of occasions (Transfermarkt), which is an added bonus when it comes to providing Patrick Vieira with even more squad depth.
