Crystal Palace are reportedly interested in signing an 'untouchable' Chelsea star after announcing the arrival of former Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Tomiyasu joins the Eagles on a free after a successful trial period at the club which saw him take part in several pre-season games. The Japan international was a fan-favourite at Arsenal but had his contract terminated last year after ongoing injury problems caused him to miss almost all of the 2024/25 season.
After a brief stint at Ajax, Tomiyasu has become new manager Pierre Sage's second signing for Palace following fellow versatile defender Óscar Mingueza.
Palace eye Acheampong
The pair bring much needed squad depth as the club prepare for their Europa League debut, but Palace are still in the market for another centre-back option after selling Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea for £52million.
A deal for Augsburg's Chrislain Matsima collapsed last week, while there is strong interest in Raphael le Guen but the Brest teenager has only made a handful of senior appearances.
There have been rumours that Axel Disasi could swap Stamford Bridge for Selhurst Park, but the Chelsea outcast's £25m price tag would surely prove problematic with Palace unable to spend big because of UEFA's Squad Cost Ratio rules.
Loan interest in Acheampong
But it has been reported by BBC Sport, that the Eagles have their eyes on a different Blues defender: Josh Acheampong.
It is said that Acheampong is one of only seven players that Chelsea consider to be 'untouchable' and not for sale at any price, a group that includes Cole Palmer, Reece James and Moises Caicedo.
That's despite the 20-year-old struggling for minutes at Stamford Bridge, as while he made 30 appearances across all competitions last season, just 14 of them were starts.
That situation is unlikely to improve this campaign thanks to the arrival of Lacroix and Marco Palestra, as well as the return of Levi Colwill from a lengthy injury. Moreover, Chelsea are not in any European competition.
Palace are interested in a loan deal for Acheampong, who is equally comfortable playing at centre-back or right-back, as they look to minimise spending.
It is unclear if Xabi Alonso would let the youngster leave, even just on loan, as they look to sell 11 other players before the transfer window closes.
Several former Chelsea players have greatly benefitted from a loan spell with the Eagles, including Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, so a short term switch could benefit all parties.
In other news, Palace have agreed a £10m deal to sign highly-rated American winger Zavier Gozo from Real Salt Lake.
