Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has made it clear that he would like Japanese international defender, Takehiro Tomiyasu, to stay at the Emirates Stadium after the full-back was linked with a move away from the club during the January transfer window.
In his pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal’s trip to face capital city rivals Brentford on Saturday evening, Arteta was asked about Tomiyasu and said:
“I value him a lot and I really want him to stay, he’s going to be a part of our plans. He’s loved and respected by everybody at the club. He’s at the level we need to make an impact on the team.”
The 25-year-old Fukuoka-born defender has found starts difficult to come by for The Gunners and had been linked with the likes of Bayern Munich in January, who are reportedly keen on a centre-back that can play right-back, which is the exact profile of Tomiyasu.
Tomiyasu has started just three of Arsenal’s 11 Premier League matches so far this season. He was sent off for a second bookable offence in the second game of the season against Crystal Palace but did get on the scoresheet more recently in a 5-0 demolition of Sheffield United.
The defender, who has been capped 36 times for the Japanese national team, began his career with hometown club Avispa Fukuoka before joining Sint-Truiden in 2018. He then moved on to Bologna before joining Arsenal for a fee believed to be in the region of £15.5 million in the summer transfer window of 2021.
The Gunners are expected to be relatively busy in the January transfer window as they continue to be linked with Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz among others. However, it is expected that any deal for Toney may have to wait until the summer transfer window.
