Motherwell make former Crystal Palace defender Kofi Balmer first summer signing

Motherwell have signed former Northern Ireland Under-21 centre-back Kofi Balmer on a two-year contract following his departure from Crystal Palace.

The 23-year-old had spells with Ballymena and Larne in his homeland before earning a move to the Eagles in the summer of 2022.

Balmer spent the past season on loan at Port Vale and then Wimbledon and left Palace without making an appearance for their first team.

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell is delighted to have secured the services of a defender who made 20 appearances for Northern Ireland U21s and was called up to the full squad in September, albeit without being capped.

“It’s great to get Kofi on board,” Kettlewell told Well’s website.

“There was a lot of interest from other clubs who were looking to sign him so it tells you we’ve got a good player on our hands.

“He has played lots of football for a boy his age but we still think with our coaching, we can get more out of Kofi and make him even better.

“I look forward to working with him during pre-season and seeing how he gets on.”

Balmer represents Motherwell’s first new signing of the summer.

“I’m so happy to be here,” he said. “I’ve heard some great things about the club and the fan base. I can’t wait to meet everyone and get stuck into work.

“I feel I can bring a lot to the team and want to make a real impact in my time here.”