Naouirou Ahamada had a number of difficulties upon moving from VfB Stuttgart to Crystal Palace in January 2023.
Under Roy Hodgson, the Frenchman has not yet started a Premier League match and has hardly had enough time to contribute off the bench.
Thanks to The Athletic, VfB Stuttgart now believes Crystal Palace made a mistake when they signed Naouirou Ahamada.
What went wrong for Crystal Palace in the signing of Naouirou Ahamada?
The Athletic reports that some who witnessed the Marseille player in action at VfB Stuttgart think Crystal Palace signed him too soon when they agreed to a £10.6 million deal in January 2023.
Many at VfB Stuttgart reportedly believe that Ahamada would have benefited more from remaining in Germany and continuing to play regular first-team football before relocating to England.
Only one start for the Eagles has the No. 29 from Crystal Palace, and that was during the Carabao Cup loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford earlier this season.
After Ahamada signed, his fellow countryman, Patrick Vieira, was fired shortly after, leaving Ahamada in a bit of a limbo until Hodgson decided not to use the 21-year-old.
21-year-old had received appalling treatment
Ahamada has demonstrated glimpses of his technical prowess in cameo appearances, and it is evident that he has a lot of potential.
But it appears that there has not been a strategy for the £10.6 million man, who is coasting to retirement at Selhurst Park.
Ahamada should have been able to sign a loan deal with Crystal Palace back in the summer, or the club could have even allowed him to spend a full year on loan at VfB Stuttgart, where he was a consistent starter in a premier league.
The adaptable midfielder still has the potential to be a major contributor in SE25, perhaps having not lost too much valuable time during this developing phase.
At the very least, Ahamada put in a strong performance in their most recent friendly victory over Bodo/Glimt, which should be a positive indication of things to come under Oliver Glasner.