1st Jul 2024 • Written by Josh Holloway

Daichi Kamada: how will he fare at Crystal Palace?

Credit: Marco Canoniero/LightRocket/Getty Images

Crystal Palace have signed Japanese midfielder Daichi Kamada after the 27-year-old decided not to extend his contract with Lazio. He becomes Palace’s second summer signing after the arrival of Moroccan defender Chadi Riad for an initial €12 million. 

Who is Daichi Kamada?

Kamada’s career began in the J.League with Sagan Tosu in 2015 as an attacking midfielder. Two years later, his performances had earned him a move to Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt. 

After struggling to cope with the demands of the new league, Kamada was loaned to Belgian side Sint-Truiden to gain first team experience. He settled quickly and soon became a key man for the Pro League outfit. 

Scoring 16 goals in 36 appearances, his spell away from Frankfurt was extremely fruitful. Often deployed as an advanced attacking midfielder or as a striker, Kamada showed his versatility and ability to adapt to European football. 

Upon return to Frankfurt, Kamada immediately found his feet as an attacking midfielder for Die Adler. He became a regular starter, notching two goals and six assists in 28 league appearances

However, it was in the 21/22 season that Kamada really shone. He played a pivotal role in Frankfurt’s remarkable Europa League victory under the guidance of Oliver Glasner. Scoring five goals in 13 European appearances, Kamada’s input was invaluable.

In 2023 Kamada joined Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio. He initially operated as a central midfielder until Sarri was replaced by Croatian Igor Tudor, who preferred to utilise Kamada on the right side of a front-three.

How did Kamada perform for Lazio?

Kamada enjoyed a strong start to life in Rome. Sarri opted for a 4-3-3 system, with Kamada trusted to operate on the right of a midfield three. A goal and an assist in his first four league appearances seemed to justify his inclusion.

However, he soon fell out of favour, with Sarri choosing to start Mateo Guendouzi in his place. Kamada’s game time took a significant hit for the remainder of the campaign.

Maurizio Sarri resigned in March following a home defeat against a struggling Udinese side, with Lazio languishing in 9th place in the table.

Thankfully for Kamada, new manager Igor Tudor implemented a  3-4-2-1 system similar to that of Glasner’s Frankfurt. Tudor identified Kamada as being a key part of his plan and wanted to build the team around the Japanese midfielder. 

Under Tudor, Kamada operated on the right-hand-side of the forward line and averaged 83 minutes per game across his nine appearances. Kamada was very popular with the Croat who cited Kamada’s tactical intelligence as one of his key strengths.

“I think his characteristics are suited to the style of football I want. He is tactically so intelligent, I liked his readiness to suffer under pressure when needed.”

Igor Tudor

Kamada for Glasner

Originally, Glasner deployed Kamada as part of the forward line where he achieved 9 goals and 4 assists across 46 appearances. In this role, Kamada was instructed to make aggressive runs and find pockets of space around the opposition’s penalty area.

Credit: Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images

The 22/23 campaign saw a slight change as Kamada was utilised in a deeper central midfield role. Despite not playing as part of the forward line, Kamada racked up 16 goals and 6 assists across all competitions - an improvement on the year before. 

Glasner held Kamada in incredibly high regard, with his versatility and intelligence crucial to the Austrian’s success at Frankfurt.

"I've only rarely encountered such an intelligent player out on the pitch. Daichi's sense of anticipation for where dangerous spaces will open up is excellent. I trust him to find the spaces opposing teams give us." 

Oliver Glasner

How does Kamada play?

Kamada’s biggest strength is his ability to find space between the lines, His two-footedness allows him to comfortably receive the ball in tight areas and draw players in. Although utilised by Tudor on the right of the forward line, Kamada has a clear preference for playing on the left.

In the final third, Kamada makes sure to delay his runs into the box in order to lose defenders and find space. Kamada is a good striker of the ball and a large portion of his goals are scored from tight areas and narrow angles. The midfielder loves to receive the ball on the half-turn and has the technical ability to carry the ball over long distances.

How could Kamada fit into Crystal Palace?

Due to his versatility, Kamada could be utilised in a variety of positions for Glasner’s Eagles. He could operate as a rotation or depth player in the forward line, but he’s also useful playing deeper in midfield and orchestrating proceedings.

Crystal Palace fans should be excited for Kamada’s arrival. He is a very talented and versatile player who can provide depth, rotation and competition in multiple positions. Glasner already managed to get the best out of him in Germany and will already have a plan in place for Kamada’s smooth integration. 

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