Arsenal are set to announce a new contract for Takehiro Tomiyasu, as Mikel Arteta wanted an extended stay for the Japanese international.
Fabrizio Romano understands that new deal for Takehiro Tomiyasu has been agreed and sealed by Arsenal. The 25-year-old utility man has an essential place in Mikel Arteta’s plans, with the Spaniard keen for the Japanese international to commit to his long-term future at the Emirates.
Takehiro Tomiyasu to sign a new contract?
For months now, Arsenal have hinted at new contracts for their essential utility stars, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben White. The duo has been exceptional since signing in the same window a few years ago. At first, they competed for a place at right-back, which the latter has made his own, with the Japanese international now considered a versatile option across the backline.
This season, Tomiyasu has primarily played as a left-back, while for Japan, he usually takes up a more central position. The 25-year-old utility man is sort of a ‘Swiss army knife’ defender that Mikel Arteta considers extremely important to his system.
At the end of December, Arsenal had advanced in negotiations with Tomiyasu’s camp over a new contract, with the 25-year-old utility man set for a pay rise. The Gunners are now set to announce a contract renewal with the defender, as Fabrizio Romano insists the deal is signed and sealed.
It is a massive boost for Arteta and his bid to keep his essential players together. There were rumours of Bayern Munich wanting Tomiyasu in January. But as soon as they learned that Arsenal were uninterested in a departure for the 25-year-old utility man, they immediately cooled their interest in the defender.
Tomiyasu is part of the bigger plan at Arsenal
Arteta had wanted to tie down all of his core stars, and in the last 18 months, they have managed to renew the contracts of many of their key personnel. They are already in talks with Ben White to renew his deal, and an announcement could follow once the Tomiyasu news comes out.
Central defenders Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba renewed, while there were new deals for Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinell in the last year. They are also keen to tie down a few of their youth players, which has been a bit tricky for the Gunners.
Overall, the renewal with Tomiyasu does place him as an essential star for Arsenal, as Arteta indeed views the defender as a crucial part of his plans. The 25-year-old utility man will soon return to the club following Japan’s elimination from the AFC Asian Cup at the hands of Iran, as the manager will hope the defender plays a vital role in the title run-in.
