Takehiro Tomiyasu, an adaptable defender for Arsenal, is said to have accepted the club’s offer of a new, long-term deal.
When the Japan international joined Arsenal in the summer of 2021 after Arsenal defeated Tottenham Hotspur to get him, he became an immediate hit at the Emirates. However, he quickly started to struggle with fitness.
Due to physical setbacks and Ben White’s performance on the right side, Tomiyasu was more of a supporting player in the 2022–2023 season. However, under Mikel Arteta, he has returned to prominence in 2023–2024.
With a smile on his face, the 25-year-old accepted playing time at right-back, left-back, and center-back. He scored his first goal for Arsenal in their 5-0 Premier League victory against Sheffield United in late October and has added three more assists from 20 appearances so far this season.
Tomiyasu was severely injured again in December, missing many weeks of play due to a calf issue. However, he made a comeback in time to play off the bench in a 2-1 defeat to Fulham before leaving for the Asian Cup.
The 25-year-old is now scheduled to return to Arsenal for the remainder of the domestic season. Tomiyasu played four games for Japan while they were in Qatar, where the Samurai Blue advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to Iran on Saturday.
During his outstanding performance in the fall, Arsenal was reportedly working on a new and improved contract for the defender, who is still subject to the same terms he agreed to when he joined the team two and a half years ago.
The present contract of Japanese defender Tomiyasu expires in 18 months, with an option to extend until 2026. However, Fabrizio Romano reports that Tomiyasu has now approved a long-term extension.
Since Japan’s Asian Cup loss, Arsenal is said to have hastened talks with Tomiyasu’s team because Arteta and the board were keen to ensure Tomiyasu’s long-term future.
German champions Bayern Munich were said to have shown interest in signing Tomiyasu in January, but the 25-year-old’s new contract is expected to be confirmed soon after Arsenal put a not-for-sale tag on him.
After 73 games in an Arsenal uniform, Tomiyasu has one goal and six assists to his name. The Japan international will soon sign a new contract to remain in North London, joining Arsenal’s youthful core.
In the last several years, sporting director Edu has been in charge of the renewals of many key players, including Aaron Ramsdale, Martin Odegaard, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Martinelli.
Although neither White’s nor Oleksandr Zinchenko’s current contracts are set to expire until the conclusion of the 2025–2026 season, Tomiyasu’s fellow full-backs are believed to be the next in line for new deals.
Zinchenko and White both began Sunday’s 3-1 victory against Premier League rivals Liverpool. However, the Ukrainian was forced to leave the game early due to a calf injury, and Arteta later confirmed this. After the break, Jakub Kiwior took over for Zinchenko.
Tomiyasu may thus be expected to make an instant comeback to the Arsenal starting lineup when the Gunners resume their quest for glory on Sunday on the road against West Ham United, a rival team in London.
