Midfielder Naouirou Ahamada will probably move from Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart to Crystal Palace in England.
“In England, documents can be submitted until midnight. We are currently working on that,” said VfB sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth after the 2-1 win in the cup round of 16 at second division SC Paderborn on the last day of the transfer window. “A few formalities still have to be taken care of by the authorities”.
Coach Bruno Labbadia reacted with regret, but also understanding. “We wanted to keep him. He’s a young player who made his breakthrough this season and is part of the tribe,” he said: “But we know the financial situation. If the club says we need the money, we have to bow. Because it’s our only chance.”
You have to “break the cycle at some point so that we no longer have to give up players who have made our breakthrough. But that will be with us for some time.”
The 20-year-old Ahamada moved to Stuttgart from the Juventus youth team in the summer of 2021. In the first games under Labbadia, the Frenchman was a regular.