Daichi Kamada is all but set to sign for Crystal Palace from Serie A side Lazio, ending his short stay in Italy.
Daichi Kamada to Join Crystal Palace on a Free Transfer
Midfielder Set to Star Under Oliver Glasner Once Again
Fabrizio Romano has this morning (June 19) reported that Kamada has signed his contract at Selhurst Park. His medical is also complete with the official announcement from Palace regarding his arrival planned for the start of July.
The Japanese international and Oliver Glasner worked together for two seasons at Frankfurt between 2021 and 2023. In that time, the 27-year-old scored 25 goals in all competitions. Five of those came in the German side’s victorious Europa League campaign of 2021/22.
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Kamada’s 16-goal haul of 2022/23 remains the joint-highest scoring season of his career; it is no wonder that Glasner has been so keen to bring him to Palace. With the player’s contract ending this summer, Glasner bringing in his former player on a free transfer seems like a no-brainer.
Kamada’s Recent Seasons
The “midfield maestro” signed with Lazio after leaving Eintracht Frankfurt at the end of the 2022/23 season. He spent six years with the German side, scoring 40 times in 179 appearances.
Upon signing a one-year deal in Rome, many saw Kamada as the man who would be key to keeping Lazio in the Champions League spots, after the club finished 2nd in 2022/23. However, he never truly found the form that he showed in his final campaign for Frankfurt, scoring just two in 29 league appearances as Lazio limped to a 7th-placed finish, 13 points off their tally from the previous season.
What the Signing of Kamada Could Mean for Palace in the Long Term
Kamada’s arrival in South London will get fans excited as Glasner continues to mould this Palace team into one that can challenge the big boys of the Premier League.
The signing of the Lazio man may also hold some deeper significance as the futures of Palace’s star attackers, Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze, remain firmly in the balance. Chelsea are said to be pushing to agree personal terms with Olise, whilst Eze was believed to be a target for Manchester City in previous windows.
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The 2023/24 campaign highlighted the importance of keeping their two key men at Selhurst Park beyond this summer. The pair combined for 21 league goals in the season just gone, but when the big teams begin circling, attempting to retain your best players’ services can sometimes be a lost cause.
Whatever happens with Olise and Eze this summer, Glasner will be hoping that Kamada can hit the ground running at Palace in an attempt to prove that the team’s reliance on their two prized assets isn’t as heavy as it seems.
