{"id":50768,"date":"2026-07-29T08:40:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T12:40:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/29\/crystal-palace-take-lead-in-race-to-sign-pierre-sarges-beloved-first-class-player\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T08:40:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T12:40:24","slug":"crystal-palace-take-lead-in-race-to-sign-pierre-sarges-beloved-first-class-player","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/29\/crystal-palace-take-lead-in-race-to-sign-pierre-sarges-beloved-first-class-player\/","title":{"rendered":"Crystal Palace take lead in race to sign Pierre Sarge&#8217;s beloved &#8216;first class&#8217; player"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/29\/crystal-palace-take-lead-in-race-to-sign-pierre-sarges-beloved-first-class-player\/#Crystal_Palace_are_at_the_top_of_the_race_to_sign_Takehiro_Tomiyasu\" >Crystal Palace are at the top of the race to sign Takehiro Tomiyasu<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/29\/crystal-palace-take-lead-in-race-to-sign-pierre-sarges-beloved-first-class-player\/#Crystal_Palace_will_decide_whether_to_sign_the_player_after_meeting_with_him_in_London\" >Crystal Palace will decide whether to sign the player after meeting with him in London<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Crystal Palace are currently the frontrunners to sign Takehiro Tomiyasu, with manager Pierre Sarge considered to be a big fan of the former Arsenal defender.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<p>Tomiyasu already has Premier League experience, spending four years with the Gunners, where he showed his versatility by playing in a back three.<\/p>\n<p>The Japan international could be called up as a replacement for Maxence Lacroix as he looks to secure a move to Chelsea, but during his time in north London he was mostly used as a right-back or left-back.<\/p>\n<p>The 27-year-old was hailed as &#8220;first-rate&#8221; by Mikel Arteta, scoring two goals and providing six assists in 84 appearances for the Gunners before signing for Ajax. However, he only appeared in seven matches in the Eredivisie last season, playing a total of 205 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>So, while there may be concerns about the defender not playing games last season, the fact that he knows the demands of English football is a plus, and as he can be acquired on a free transfer, the deal is low risk.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"crystal-palace-now-leading-race-to-sign-takehiro-tomiyasu\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Crystal_Palace_are_at_the_top_of_the_race_to_sign_Takehiro_Tomiyasu\"><\/span>\n                        <strong>Crystal Palace are at the top of the race to sign Takehiro Tomiyasu<\/strong><br \/>\n               <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>    According to a report from TEAMtalk, Crystal Palace are currently in pole position to sign Tomiyasu, with Sage a big fan of the defender given his versatility and experience.<\/p>\n<p>Liverpool, Everton, Newcastle United and Sunderland have also been named as potential suitors for the former Arsenal player, but he is keen to remain in London, where he has been based since leaving the Gunners in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>The Eagles&#8217; Europa Conference League win also worked in their favor, with them playing in the Europa League next season, making a move to Selhurst Park an attractive proposition.<\/p>\n<div class=\"table-container\">\n<table border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"1\" cellspacing=\"1\" style=\"\" align=\"\" summary=\"\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th colspan=\"2\" scope=\"row\">\n<p>Why Crystal Palace should sign Takehiro Tomiyasu<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"row\">\n<p>Maxence Lacroix&#8217;s departure approaches<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<td>\n<p>With Lacroix set to sign for Chelsea, Palace are unlikely to be thinking too much about their options at the back, especially considering Mar Guehi joined Manchester City in January. As such, Sage will only need to sign a new defender, with Tomiyasu already proving himself in the Premier League.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"row\">\n<p>Versatility and European experience<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<td>\n<p>Additionally, the former Ajax player can also play at full-back, allowing him to fill in for Tyrik Mitchell or Daniel Mu\u00f1oz if needed. Signing a player with European experience could also be important, as Palace are set to embark on a Europa League campaign next season, with the player already having played in the competition and the Champions League.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"row\">\n<p>low risk trading<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<td>\n<p>Tomiyasu can be acquired on a free transfer, meaning that even if the move doesn&#8217;t go through, the only money Palace will lose is money spent on wages.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<p>A left-field option to replace Lacroix is \u200b\u200balso in the picture, with Palace agreeing to sign Raphael Le Guen on personal terms after overtaking Fulham in the race to sign him.<\/p>\n<p>However, the Stade Brest defender is only 19 years old and has no Premier League experience, suggesting Tomiyasu may be able to make a more immediate impact.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"display-card  article article-card small  no-badge  active-content                              \" data-include-community-rating=\"false\" id=\"crystal-palace-deciding-whether-to-sign-player-after-holding-talks-with-him-in-london\" data-nosnippet=\"\">\n<p>                        <\/p>\n<p>                    <span data-field=\"label\" class=\"article-card-label\"><label>related<\/label><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-display-card-content regular article-block\">\n<h5 class=\"display-card-title \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Crystal_Palace_will_decide_whether_to_sign_the_player_after_meeting_with_him_in_London\"><\/span>\n<p>\t\t\tCrystal Palace will decide whether to sign the player after meeting with him in London<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"display-card-excerpt\">Steve Parish et al. have other &#8220;off-the-shelf&#8221; alternatives.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Crystal Palace are currently the frontrunners to sign Takehiro Tomiyasu, with manager Pierre Sarge considered to be a big fan of the former Arsenal defender. Tomiyasu already has Premier League experience, spending four years with the Gunners, where he showed his versatility by playing in a back three. The Japan international could be called up [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50769,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[820,85,90,40,1908,91,8045,575,180,9532,43],"class_list":["post-50768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football","tag-beloved","tag-class","tag-crystal","tag-football","tag-lead","tag-palace","tag-pierre","tag-player","tag-race","tag-sarges","tag-sign"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50768","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50768"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50768\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}