Takehiro Tomiyasu has caught the attention of three Italian clubs, with Arsenal potentially open to selling the Japanese international in the upcoming January transfer window.
The former Bologna defender was rumored to leave the Emirates during the summer as Arsenal bolstered their defensive options.
The Gunners, who boasted the best defense in the Premier League last season, added Riccardo Calafiori to a backline that already includes Ben White, William Saliba, and Gabriel Magalhaes. Jurrien Timber has also returned after a lengthy injury layoff, adding more depth to Mikel Arteta’s squad.
Tomiyasu joined Arsenal in August 2021 for a fee close to £20 million and signed an extension in March, keeping him at the club until 2026.
The 25-year-old has been a versatile asset for Arteta, capable of playing in both full-back positions and at the heart of the defense. He has made 83 appearances for the Gunners, including 30 last season, but has since found himself lower in the pecking order.
Reports indicate that Inter Milan currently leads the race to sign Tomiyasu, with Napoli and Juventus also showing interest. Arsenal is said to be demanding a £25 million fee for the defender.
Inter Milan had previously been linked with a move for Tomiyasu during the summer transfer window, but Arsenal had no interest in a loan deal, especially since Tomiyasu only made six league starts last season. The defender was reportedly keen to get more playing time, but at that time, Inter was not considering a permanent transfer.
Tomiyasu has yet to feature this season due to a pre-season injury. After missing Arsenal’s tour of the United States, manager Mikel Arteta confirmed that Tomiyasu would be out for several weeks, having also missed games against Bayer Leverkusen and Lyon in preparation for the new season.
“I think it will take weeks on that one, unfortunately, and poor Tomi because of everything that he does,” Arteta stated after the friendly against Lyon. “But he’s going to have to be patient and work through it because I think it’s going to take a few weeks.”
Although Tomiyasu was present for the squad’s official photograph earlier this week, he was absent from Arsenal’s training session on Wednesday. The team was preparing for their Champions League fixture at London Colney before traveling to Italy.
In addition to Tomiyasu’s absence, Arteta is also missing several key players, including Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Kieran Tierney. Arsenal captain Odegaard is expected to be sidelined for several weeks, though Arteta hopes it won’t stretch into months.
“Recent scans showed he’s got some damage, especially on one of the ligaments in the ankle,” Arteta confirmed. “We’re going to miss him.”
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