Takehiro Tomiyasu is trying out for Crystal Palace. The Japan international, who left Arsenal by mutual agreement last summer, is currently on a pre-season trial with the south London club as they build toward the new Premier League campaign.

Palace were in action on 28 July in the Como Cup, a pre-season tournament hosted at Lake Como in Italy. Their official match report names Portuguese side Famalicão as the opponents in the opener — not RC Lens, despite some listings — and records a defeat for Oliver Glasner's side. Tomiyasu was listed among the substitutes but did not take the pitch (cpfc.co.uk).

For a player of Tomiyasu's pedigree, a trial is unusual. Arsenal announced his departure on 4 July 2025, describing the 26-year-old defender's exit as a mutual agreement to terminate his contract with immediate effect (arsenal.com). Injuries limited him to just a handful of appearances in his final season at the Emirates. The versatile defender — comfortable at right-back, centre-back, or left-back — joined Arsenal from Bologna in 2021 and made over 80 appearances across four seasons.

The Palace connection has an ironic twist for long-suffering Eagles fans. In August 2023, Tomiyasu — then an Arsenal player — was sent off at Selhurst Park after receiving two yellow cards in the space of nine second-half minutes. Palace's official match centre recorded a 58th-minute caution followed by a 67th-minute dismissal for a bad foul, a moment that featured in the club's post-match reaction from both Joachim Andersen and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (cpfc.co.uk). He could now be pulling on the red and blue stripes rather than playing against them.

Palace have also shown interest in Tomiyasu's international teammate Daichi Kamada, who already plays for the club. A June 2026 article on the Palace website spotlighting Japan's World Cup campaign listed Tomiyasu alongside Kamada, noting his connection to Ajax — a detail that suggests Palace have been tracking him for some time and may see a natural fit alongside a familiar face (cpfc.co.uk).

Pre-season trials are low-risk for clubs and high-stakes for players. Palace get a close look at a proven Premier League defender without committing a transfer fee. Tomiyasu gets a platform to prove his fitness and earn a contract. Whether the trial converts into a permanent deal remains to be seen — but the fact that he is in the squad at all, travelling to Italy and sitting on the bench, suggests the interest is serious.