Crystal Palace have moved quickly in the race for T. Tomiyasu. He is already training with the squad, was named as a substitute in the pre-season friendly against Lens, and Palace have held talks with him over a permanent contract that would be a free transfer. The Premier League return is live, not speculative.

Palace's early lead

BBC Sport's Sami Mokbel said Palace have held talks with Tomiyasu over a permanent deal that would bring him back to the Premier League. TEAMtalk sources went a step further and called Palace the clear frontrunners. That is a decent position to be in when other clubs are still weighing up whether to join the race.

There is also the football fit. Pierre Sage is expected to use three central defenders next season, with Tomiyasu viewed as a possible left-sided option in that trio. TEAMtalk sources also said the Eagles believe his ability to play at full-back and centre-back makes him an ideal addition to Sage's squad.

Palace can point to European football as part of the pitch. Their 2025 UEFA Conference League campaign ended with 3 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats, with 11 goals scored and 6 conceded across 6 matches. They also finished 15th in the 2025 Premier League on 45 points from 38 matches, which explains why defensive cover is still on the agenda.

Why Palace have moved first

The other part of the story is urgency. Mokbel reported that Maxence Lacroix is set to join Chelsea, while Palace have already made at least one offer for Augsburg centre-back Chrislain Matsima and talks over a potential 30m euro (£25.7m) deal are continuing. Palace are not shopping for one defender, they are trying to reshape the back line.

That leaves Tomiyasu in a strong spot. He has four years of Premier League experience, according to TEAMtalk, and he has already been around the Palace group during pre-season. Liverpool and Everton are also among the clubs linked in the wider race, but Palace have the practical advantage of talks already being under way and the squad place already having been tested.

The next step is straightforward. Palace are expected to keep talking, and Tomiyasu's future should become clearer as the club continue their pre-season work before the new campaign starts.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →