Tomiyasu trains with Crystal Palace as a Premier League return takes more concrete shape
Takehiro Tomiyasu has joined Crystal Palace training, where the coaching staff are assessing his physical condition before deciding on a possible contract offer. According to a GiveMeSport report published on 28 July 2026, the Japanese defender is currently working with the London club's squad, but negotiations have not yet been concluded and his signing has not been officially confirmed. This is therefore an evaluation period, not a completed transfer. Palace want to determine at close range whether the 27-year-old can withstand the demands of daily work and the competitive rhythm after a period marked by serious injuries. If the assessment is positive, Tomiyasu could return to the Premier League as a free agent without a transfer fee being paid.
Such an approach is understandable for Crystal Palace. Tomiyasu has experience of playing in England, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Japan, and during his career he has demonstrated that he can cover almost every position across the back line. At the same time, his medical history requires a level of caution that goes beyond the usual medical examination before signing. The club have not yet disclosed details about the duration of his time in training, the possible structure of a contract or the deadline for a final decision. According to the available information, everything will primarily depend on his condition while working with the team and the assessment of the medical and fitness staff.
Ajax contract expired at the end of June
Tomiyasu is a free agent following the end of his short-term spell with Ajax. The Amsterdam club officially announced on 16 December 2025 that they had signed the Japan international to a contract running until 30 June 2026. Ajax openly stated at the time that his injury history had been an important part of the assessment and that the defender had undergone detailed examinations before signing. Sporting director Marijn Beuker highlighted Tomiyasu's experience, intelligence and ability to play with both feet, but also the need for him to regain full match sharpness. The short-term contract was a way for both parties to limit the risk while simultaneously attempting to revive the career of a player who, at his peak, belonged at the level of Europe's strongest leagues.
His stay in Amsterdam gave him an opportunity to return to senior football after a long absence. He did not become a long-term solution for Ajax, and when his contract expired, he returned to the market without a transfer fee. This allows Crystal Palace to structure a potential deal without negotiating with another club, but a free transfer does not mean a risk-free transfer. Salary, bonuses, contract length, insurance and possible protection for the club in the event of further health problems will be important elements of any agreement. That is precisely why the trial period carries considerable weight: Palace can assess how Tomiyasu responds to physical load, how quickly he recovers between training sessions and whether he can maintain the intensity required for the Premier League.
Injury history remains the central issue
The biggest obstacle to a possible signing is not Tomiyasu's footballing quality, but the continuity of his availability. Arsenal officially confirmed in February 2025 that the defender had undergone surgery on his right knee following a problem sustained during pre-season preparations. His final official appearance for the London club before his long absence came on 5 October 2024, a fact later also mentioned by Ajax when presenting the player. He accumulated only a few minutes on the pitch during the 2024/25 season, and the lengthy rehabilitation significantly influenced the decision to end his association with Arsenal. The club and the player mutually terminated the contract on 4 July 2025.
In their official statement, Arsenal said that Tomiyasu had made 84 appearances in all competitions during four years at the club. The number of appearances shows that he was an important member of the squad when healthy, but also that he was unable to establish himself permanently as a regular first-team player. Knee, calf and muscular injuries interrupted periods of good form and made it difficult for him to maintain rhythm. His current status therefore cannot be assessed solely on the reputation he built at Arsenal or his appearances for Japan. For Crystal Palace, the decisive factors will be his current medical results, training data and his body's response to consecutive physical workloads.
This situation explains why the club are not rushing to announce a decision. A contract with a free agent may appear to be a market opportunity, but prolonged unavailability can cancel out the financial advantage of not paying a transfer fee. Palace must assess not only whether Tomiyasu can train at full intensity, but also how realistic it is to expect him to cope with a congested schedule of matches, travel and recovery. On the other hand, the fact that he played again after rehabilitation and remained within the Japan national-team set-up indicates that his career has not come to a halt. The trial training sessions should provide an answer as to whether he is sufficiently close to the level at which he can immediately help a Premier League team.
Versatility suited to a three-centre-back defence
Tomiyasu's greatest tactical value is his adaptability. The Japan Football Association describes him as a defender whose natural position is in central defence, but who can also play at a high level on both the right and left flanks. At Arsenal he was most frequently used as a full-back, while for Japan he often played closer to the centre of the back line. He is 187 centimetres tall, strong in duels and mobile enough to defend large spaces behind a wide player. His ability to use both feet further facilitates build-up play and switching sides under pressure.
Crystal Palace appointed Pierre Sage as their new manager on a three-year contract on 15 June 2026. Reports following his arrival identified the 3-4-2-1 formation as his preferred system, in which defenders capable of playing both as wide centre-backs and traditional full-backs are particularly valuable. If fit, Tomiyasu could cover the right and left sides of the back three, play in the centre of defence or fill in at full-back when the team switches to a back four. Such a range of options enables the manager to change the system without necessarily changing personnel.
Palace's official first-team list already contains a number of defensive options, including Daniel Muñoz, Tyrick Mitchell, Chris Richards, Maxence Lacroix, Jaydee Canvot, Nathaniel Clyne, Borna Sosa and Óscar Mingueza. Tomiyasu would therefore not be arriving merely to fill a vacant position, but would have to compete for a role within a competitive group. His advantage would be his ability to cover multiple positions, particularly during periods of injuries, suspensions or a congested fixture schedule. Japan international Daichi Kamada is also in the dressing room, which could make it easier for Tomiyasu to adapt to his new surroundings, although he already knows London well after four years at Arsenal.
The Premier League is familiar territory
A return to English football would not mean entering unknown territory for Tomiyasu. Arsenal signed him from Bologna in August 2021, after he had built a reputation in Serie A as a reliable and tactically disciplined defender. He quickly adapted to the speed of the Premier League and showed that he could defend against physically powerful forwards while also tracking mobile wingers. His composure in possession and willingness to play in different roles suited the demands of Mikel Arteta's team. When fully fit, he provided a balance between defensive security and participation in build-up play.
His English chapter nevertheless remained unfinished. Tomiyasu had periods when he looked like a long-term solution, but fresh physical problems repeatedly returned him to the beginning of the recovery process. Arsenal extended his contract in March 2024, demonstrating how highly they valued him at the time, but the association ended by mutual consent only slightly more than a year later. When he left, the club emphasised his professionalism and contribution to the team, while Tomiyasu later said the termination had not been a unilateral decision. A return to London with Palace would therefore also represent an attempt to change the final impression of his first Premier League spell in a competition he already knows.
For Palace, his experience in the league reduces some of the usual risk associated with signing a player from a different football culture. Tomiyasu understands the pace of matches, the working methods of English clubs, the demands of the media environment and travel during the season. He should not require a long period of basic adaptation to the intensity of the competition, although he may need time to regain full form. That is an important distinction: tactical and cultural adaptation would probably be brief, but the physical assessment remains unresolved. Through the training sessions, Palace are attempting to separate those two questions.
International status confirms that he still has value at the highest level
Tomiyasu has been a member of Japan's senior national team since 2018. According to his official Japan Football Association profile, he had made 46 appearances and scored one goal for the national team by the end of June 2026. He was part of Japan's squad at the 2022 World Cup and was also included in the squad for the 2026 World Cup. His role with the national team has traditionally been based on tactical reliability, the ability to defend large spaces and experience gained in European leagues. He allows the coach to change the configuration of the back line without a significant loss of stability.
International status alone is no guarantee that he is ready for a full Premier League schedule, but it demonstrates that Japan's coaching staff still see him as an important player. For Crystal Palace, that is an additional confirmation of quality, but at the same time a reminder of possible travel and international commitments during the season. The club will have to assess his overall workload, not only the number of minutes he might play in the domestic league. If it is established that he can cope with such a rhythm, Tomiyasu would provide Palace with a player who has experience of major international matches and the pressure of competing at the highest level.
A transfer without a fee does not automatically mean an agreement
The fact that Palace would not have to negotiate a transfer fee increases the appeal of a possible deal. The club could direct a larger part of the financial package towards salary, appearance-related bonuses and other contractual mechanisms. With a player who has a history of serious injuries, it is often particularly important to balance the fixed and variable portions of his earnings, although there is currently no confirmed information on whether Palace and Tomiyasu are already discussing specific terms. It is also unknown whether a short-term contract, a multi-year agreement or a deal with an extension option is being considered.
The decision will also have a sporting context. Sage and his staff must assess whether the squad needs another versatile defender or whether resources would be better directed towards a player profile missing in another position. Tomiyasu's quality can justify signing him only if there is a realistic possibility of regular appearances. Otherwise, Palace would acquire a familiar name, but not a reliable solution. Training sessions, medical data and discussions about his role in the team will therefore be just as important as his previous appearances for Arsenal, Ajax or the Japan national team.
For the player himself, the trial period is also an important opportunity. A good impression in training could open the door to a return to the Premier League, a competition in which he has already shown that he can perform at a high level. An unsuccessful assessment would not necessarily mean the end of his search for a club, because his free-agent status leaves him with other possibilities, but it would underline how decisive the health issue remains. At this stage, his career depends less on reputation and more on proving that he can train and play continuously.
Final decision only after the coaching staff's assessment
As of 28 July 2026, the most important fact remains that no contract has been signed. GiveMeSport states that Tomiyasu is training with Crystal Palace, but the club have not announced that an agreement has been reached or presented the player as a new signing. The expression "trial period" should be understood literally in this case: the coaching staff want to gather enough data before accepting a financial and sporting commitment. Any claim that the transfer has already been completed would be premature.
Nevertheless, the very possibility of working with a Premier League squad represents a more concrete step than ordinary market rumours. Palace are not merely assessing footage and previous performances, but observing the player within their own training process under the direct supervision of fitness coaches and doctors. If Tomiyasu confirms that he is physically ready, his versatility, experience and availability without a transfer fee could make him an attractive signing. If doubts emerge, the club can withdraw without incurring the cost of a transfer fee. For that reason, the Japanese defender's return to the Premier League is now more realistic than it was before he arrived for training, but it still depends on an assessment that has not yet been completed.
Sources:
- GiveMeSport – report on Tomiyasu joining Crystal Palace training and being assessed before a possible contract offer (link)
- AFC Ajax – official announcement of the short-term contract until 30 June 2026, the health assessment and the player's profile (link)
- Arsenal FC – official confirmation of the mutual termination of the contract and the information that he made 84 appearances for the club (link)
- Arsenal FC – official medical update on right-knee surgery in February 2025 (link)
- Crystal Palace FC – official announcement of Pierre Sage's appointment as manager on a three-year contract (link)
- Crystal Palace FC – official first-team squad list for the 2026 season (link)
- Japan Football Association – official Takehiro Tomiyasu profile, international statistics and description of his positions (link)
- The Guardian – context surrounding Pierre Sage's arrival and his preferred tactical system (link)