Inter Milan could attempt to sign Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu and offer €20 million, which could fall short of his valuation.
According to Sport Witness, Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu still features on the radar of Inter Milan, who are prepared to make an offer. The report says the Italian giants will take their chances and make a €20 million proposal, which could fall short.
Inter Milan has plenty of problems yet to solve ahead of the season. They have been actively searching for a new striker, but their budget restrictions have seen them bow out of the chase for top targets. They were heavily linked with Arsenal’s Folarin Balogun but have cooled their interest because his asking price is too high.
Similarly, they lost out to Atalanta for Gianluca Scamacca, as they now look for other options in the window. Meanwhile, they also have shortages in defence, with Inter Milan actively looking for solutions. They had identified the vacant space left behind by Milan Skriniar as their priority and had a few names in mind.
They wanted Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah earlier, but the English centre-back seems impossible in the current circumstances. Hence, they are ready to pivot and take a look at Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu.
After a stellar first season at Arsenal, Tomiyasu fell down the pecking order and played understudy to Ben White in the last campaign. He remains integral to Mikel Arteta’s plans but is no longer an automatic starter.
The addition of Jurrien Timber has brought fresh cover for Ben White and the central defensive areas. The Dutchman has so far featured heavily as a left-back and will keep his place for Arsenal’s season opener against Nottingham Forest.
Inter Milan were reportedly interested in Tomiyasu before, but as per the report, they may have already seen an offer rejected by Arsenal. The Premier League side valued the Japanese defender at €35 million, which seems out of bounds for the Nerrazzuri.
A few other reports stated Inter Milan were reportedly offered Tomiyasu earlier, but that may seem unfounded. Now, Inter Milan are ready to test the waters by making a €20 million bid for the Arsenal defender, which may fall short of his valuations.
Arsenal paid around €20 million or more two years ago to sign him from Bologna. Hence, there’s a chance for the Gunners to sell the defender on the cheap, and more importantly, Arteta may not want to sell him at this stage of the window.
With Tomiyasu, Arsenal are probably stronger in defence than without him. The Gunners could sell Rob Holding and Kieran Tierney before the window shuts. It places more importance on the Japanese defender to play a crucial role in the upcoming season.
Arteta holds Tomiyasu in high regard and will unlikely sanction a sale now. While they will never accept a €20 million offer from Inter Milan, a bid close to their €35-40 million valuation could make the Gunners think at best. However, this deal has no legs and is possibly only a rumour at this stage of the window.
