Crystal Palace Signs Borna Sosa from Ajax in a Three-Year Deal

Crystal Palace Signs Borna Sosa from Ajax in a Three-Year Deal

Crystal Palace has secured the signing of Croatian defender Borna Sosa from Ajax on a three-year contract.

The 27-year-old, who plays as a left-sided wing-back, is praised by Palace for his ability to influence matches both defensively and offensively.

This acquisition marks Palace's second signing following the free transfer of Argentine goalkeeper Walter Benitez.

The FA Cup winners are currently awaiting UEFA's decision regarding their participation in next season's Europa League.

Sosa's transfer fee is reported to be around £3 million, although some sources suggest it might be £2 million.

Chairman Steve Parish expressed confidence that Sosa will be a "perfect fit" for the team, adding that his signing brings "additional quality, experience, and depth" to the squad.

Sosa joined Ajax in September 2023, making 25 appearances before spending the last season on loan at Italian Serie A club Torino, where he played 20 matches but opted not to activate the purchase option.

With 26 caps for Croatia, Sosa has scored twice and played a crucial role in their third-place finish at the 2022 World Cup.

He began his career at Dinamo Zagreb, his hometown club, before transferring to German side Stuttgart.

Analysis - Palace Hope Sosa Can Recapture Stuttgart Form

Tom McCoy, BBC Sport Journalist:

Sosa will provide support for Tyrick Mitchell at left-back. He aims to regain the form he displayed during his five seasons at Stuttgart, where he was recognized as one of Germany's top attacking full-backs.

During his final three years at Stuttgart, he achieved 24 Bundesliga assists, the highest joint total for any defender in that period. However, his career has since experienced a downturn.

Three weeks after his 2023 move to Ajax, the signing director, Sven Mislintat, was dismissed, leading to Sosa's diminished role, with only 10 Eredivisie starts before his loan to Torino, where he began just 14 Serie A matches.

Despite being capped at various youth levels for Croatia, Sosa controversially attempted to switch allegiance to Germany before Euro 2020, only to find it wasn't allowed under FIFA rules. He promptly issued a public apology, acknowledging his "wrong" and "naive" actions, and has since earned 26 caps for Croatia, including five starts en route to their 2022 World Cup semi-final appearance.

With Palace set to compete in European tournaments next season, whether in the Europa League or Conference League, Sosa's experience could prove valuable for manager Oliver Glasner.

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