Daichi Kamada: Crystal Palace close in on Lazio midfielder as early transfer push continues

Crystal Palace are close to securing a deal to sign Lazio midfielder Daichi Kamada as a free agent next month.

After a proposed new deal with the Serie A side fell through due to disagreements over a proposed release clause, Palace are now in pole position to sign the 27-year-old.

Negotiations over a new salary at Lazio were not a problem, but Kamada was unwilling to agree to the Serie A club’s proposed release clause of around £17million.

Palace manager Oliver Glasner previously coached Kamada at Eintracht Frankfurt and has been instrumental in alerting sporting director Dougie Freedman and Palace’s recruitment team to the possibility of signing the attacking midfielder for free.

Kamada has scored seven goals in 31 caps for Japan since making his senior debut in 2019.

He tallied an impressive 73 goal contributions in 179 appearances for Frankfurt between 2017 and 2023, before signing for Lazio on a free transfer.

The signing of Kamada would help bolster Palace’s attacking options, with Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze their key playmakers this season but both being tracked as transfer targets by major clubs across Europe.

Palace have been proactive in planning their summer transfer business since the end of the Premier League season, helped by Freedman committing his future to the Eagles after Newcastle’s attempt to poach him.

Jobe Bellingham, younger brother of Real Madrid and England star Jude, is a player of particular interest to Palace. They intend to sign the highly-rated 18-year-old from Sunderland after making him one of their key targets, with a £14million deal also in the pipeline for Barcelona defender Chadi Riad.

Palace enjoyed a fantastic end to the season after Glasner replaced Roy Hodgson as manager in February, with January signings Adam Wharton and Daniel Munoz becoming instrumental players.