Crystal Palace are reportedly close to signing Stuttgart midfielder Naouirou Ahamada before the January transfer window closes.
According to a report from The Athletic, Crystal Palace will pay a fee of around €12 million to sign 20-year-old French midfielder Naouirou Ahamada from Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart this month.
The report further states that the defensive midfielder will undergo his medical at Crystal Palace today and complete the formalities of the transfer. The 20-year-old has been a key player for Stuttgart this season, and he has two goals and two assists to his name in 17 Bundesliga appearances.
Ahamada is highly rated around Europe, and Crystal Palace wanted to sign him this month in order to avoid a bidding war in the summer. The Eagles could certainly use more quality and depth in the midfield. And the young Frenchman should prove to be a superb long-term acquisition.
Ahamada will be hoping to continue his development with regular football at Selhurst Park. And it remains to be seen whether he can hold down a regular starting spot in Patrick Vieira’s side during the second half of the campaign.
Crystal Palace are set to sign Naouirou Ahamada on €12m fee, deal set to be completed — medical tests booked 🔴🔵 #CPFC
Ahamada has agreed on personal terms and will become new midfield signing for Patrick Vieira. pic.twitter.com/r1QeEl586p
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 30, 2023
Crystal Palace have shown a willingness to invest in talented young players since the arrival of Vieira. And Ahamada should prove to be a quality long-term investment for them. It will be interesting to see if Vieira can help the young defensive midfielder continue his development with regular football and fulfil his tremendous potential.
Ahamada will add defensive cover for the centre-backs and allow the creative players to operate with more freedom. Crystal Palace are currently 12th in the league table and will hope to secure a top-half finish this season. Quality additions in January will certainly boost their chances of finishing the season strongly.
Meanwhile, the Eagles have conceded 27 goals in 20 league matches this season. And it is evident that they will need to tighten up at the back. Bringing in a quality defensive midfielder will not only help Crystal Palace stay organised at the back. But it will also help them going forward.
It remains to be seen whether Ahamada can adapt to English football quickly and make an immediate impact now. The transfer could look like a major bargain in the future if the 20-year-old French midfielder manages to settle in.
