Crystal Palace have completed the signing of French midfielder Naouirou Ahamada from VfB Stuttgart for £10.5m. The 20-year-old joins the Eagles on a three-and-a-half year contract.
Ahamada has made a total of 44 appearances in all competitions for Stuttgart, since joining from Juventus in 2020.
His arrival gives Patrick Vieira more options in the midfield, with Ahamada commonly used as a centre-mid. The return of James McArthur to training will therefore be a huge plus, with his depth of knowledge and experience in the midfield likely to help the young Frenchman adapt to his new environment.
He tries to move the ball out of the midfield quickly, with an average pass success rate of 85.7% so far this season. A strong dribbler, with a high work-rate, he will likely fit in very well with Vieira's playing style and philosophy.
David Ornstein of The Athletic dubbed him as "a player who was expected to generate huge interest in the summer".
His physicality and tackling is an area that Ahamada is currently lacking in however. This is something that I believe he will develop massively under Vieira, as who better as a young defensive midfielder to learn from?
His discipline is also often poor, picking up a second yellow card in Stuttgart's most recent game against Hoffenheim.
All in all, I think Palace have snapped up a very exciting young prospect, with plenty of potential. He has a very high-ceiling, and will no doubt look to impress the Palace fans at his first opportunity. Ahamada also plugs a gap in the midfield that has been evident all season.
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