Taha Mejni Joins Crystal Palace from Ittihad Touarga

Taha Mejni’s leap from Rabat to south London has been coming for a while. Now it is real.

Crystal Palace have completed the signing of the highly rated Moroccan defender from Ittihad Touarga, adding another ambitious talent to an academy that refuses to stand still.

From Touarga to the top flight

Mejni rose through the youth system at Ittihad Touarga and broke into the first team in June 2025, making his senior debut in an Excellence Cup semi-final win over Wydad Fez. It was a low-key stage by global standards, but a significant moment for a teenager who has accelerated ever since.

Palace describe him as “a versatile player capable of playing at centre-back or right-back,” and the numbers back that up. He has already played 17 senior matches for the Moroccan club, 15 of them last season, with 13 starts. Not bad for someone still learning how to lace his boots in the professional game.

The real headline, though, came on the international stage.

World champion at 17

At just 17, Mejni helped write a golden chapter in Moroccan football history. He was part of the Morocco squad that stormed to a first-ever Under-20 World Cup title in Chile last year, a run that saw them beat Brazil, Spain, France and Argentina on their way to the trophy.

That tournament hardened him. It also pushed him quickly up the ladder. Mejni has already stepped into the Morocco Under-23 set-up, playing two internationals in March, including a start in a 2-2 draw against Ivory Coast.

Palace have clearly seen enough to move fast.

Palace’s plan for Mejni

The club’s statement paints the picture of a modern defender with edge and elegance. Mejni “describes himself as a defender with technical qualities who also enjoys the physical side of the game,” a blend that fits neatly with the way Palace want to build from the back at all levels.

He will join Darren Powell’s Under-21 squad, where he is set to feature in Premier League 2, the Premier League International Cup and the EFL Trophy. Those competitions will test him in very different ways: academy finesse one week, hardened senior pros in the lower leagues the next.

Inside the club, there is no attempt to hide the excitement. Palace academy director Gary Issott underlined the scale of what the teenager has already achieved.

“Taha enjoyed an excellent 25-26 season and gained valuable experience in the Moroccan first division, and he helped Morocco win the Under-20 World Cup at just 17 years old,” Issott said. “He is a multi-talented defender who impressed us with his performances, and we believe Crystal Palace is the right environment for him to continue his development. Welcome, Taha!”

The message is clear: this is a long-term project, but one they believe can pay off.

“A new adventure”

Mejni himself did not play down the size of the move.

“Crystal Palace is one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League and around the world,” he said after signing. “They have achieved a great deal in recent years, so I am very excited to begin this new adventure with the club.”

It is the kind of line you expect on signing day, but the emotion behind it becomes clearer when you look at what he has left behind.

An emotional farewell

Before boarding the plane to England, Mejni said goodbye to Ittihad Touarga with a heartfelt message on Instagram after five formative years.

“After 5 wonderful years, the time has come for me to begin a new and important chapter in my life,” he wrote, before thanking the club “for its trust in me, for the opportunities it gave me, and for all the memories that helped me grow, both on and off the pitch.”

He reserved special words for those closest to him in the dressing room. “Many thanks to my team-mates and friends. We shared unforgettable moments, and some of you became like brothers to me.”

The farewell was steeped in gratitude. “I leave feeling a great deal of gratitude, pride and beautiful memories. Thank you to everyone who believed in me and to those who continue to keep the club’s spirit alive every day,” he added.

He signed off with a line that underlined just how deeply those colours have marked him: “Thank you for everything, Ittihad Tanger. I will always be proud to have worn these colours. A new page opens, but the story continues. Forever grateful.”

Now that new page turns in SE25. The question is not whether Taha Mejni has talent. That has already been proven against some of the world’s biggest youth nations. The real intrigue lies in how quickly this young defender can turn promise into Premier League presence.