Official: Ahamada switches to Palace
Crystal Palace have gotten the transfer of VfB Stuttgart midfielder Naouirou Ahamada over the line ahead of the U.K. transfer deadline.
Naouirou Ahamada's transfer to Crystal Palace is complete. The 20-year-old heads to south London for a reported transfer fee of around €12 million. The Frenchmen's now former Swabian club has only pocketed more from a sale in the cases of Timo Werner and Ozan Kabak.
"We believe his profile, skills and character are an ideal fit for Crystal Palace and the demands that await him in the Premier League," Crystal Palace boss Steve Parish noted in a statement accompanying the signing.
"From a sporting point of view, we would have liked to keep Naoui at VfB," Stuttgart manager Fabian Wohlgemuth added in the German club's departure statement, "In the end, however, we are also in a position as a club where we cannot ignore financial arguments. These ultimately tipped the scales in favor of an immediate transfer."
VfB Stuttgart trainer Bruno Labbadia, speaking to members of the assembled press shortly after his side's 2-1 victory over SC Paderborn 07 in the German cup, also noted that "it was not the plan to give him [Ahamada] away, but the club remains above everything."
Stuttgart were at least able to procure two attacking midfielders yesterday as a means of replacing Ahadama. One of the acquisitions, Portuguese winger Gil Dias, scored the crucial tying goal five minutes from time in tonight's win.
Der #VfB und Crystal Palace haben sich auf einen sofortigen Transfer von Naouirou #Ahamada verständigt. Für den Londoner Club wird der 20-jährige Mittelfeldspieler künftig in der Premier League auflaufen.
— VfB Stuttgart (@VfB) January 31, 2023
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