Naouirou Ahamada has endured a difficult time since arriving at Crystal Palace from VfB Stuttgart back in January 2023.
The Frenchman is yet to start a Premier League game – and rarely received enough minutes off the bench to make an impact under Roy Hodgson.
Now – thanks to The Athletic – there is one mistake people at VfB Stuttgart think Crystal Palace made when signing Naouirou Ahamada…
What Crystal Palace did wrong when signing Naouirou Ahamada
Well – according to The Athletic – those who watched the man from Marseille in action at VfB Stuttgart believe Crystal Palace signed him prematurely, when agreeing a £10.6m deal in January 2023.
It is said that the general feeling around Ahamada from those at VfB Stuttgart is that he would have benefitted from staying in Germany, and continuing to play regular first-team football before moving to England.
The Crystal Palace No.29 has made just one start for the Eagles – which came in the Carabao Cup defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford earlier this season.
Ahamada was somewhat left in limbo when Patrick Vieira, the man who signed him, found himself sacked just after signing his fellow countryman, before Hodgson showed no interest in using the 21-year-old.
21-year-old has been handled terribly
Ahamada clearly boasts a lot of potential, and has shown flashes of his technical ability in cameo appearances.
However, there has evidently been a lack of a plan regarding the £10.6m man, who is coasting towards oblivion at Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace should have secured a loan move for Ahamada back in the summer, or even allowed him to stay on loan at VfB Stuttgart for 12 months – where he was a regular starter in a top league.
Hopefully, the versatile midfielder has not lost too much crucial time in this formative period, and he can still become a key player in SE25.
There was – at least – a bright showing from Ahamada in the recent friendly win over Bodo/Glimt, which is hopefully a sign of things to come under Oliver Glasner.
