Is Selling Tomiyasu for £25 Million the Right Decision for Arsenal?

Arsenal’s defense is becoming increasingly crowded, and the upcoming winter transfer window will be the time for coach Mikel Arteta to clear out players who are no longer in his plans.

Takehiro Tomiyasu joined Arsenal in the summer of 2021 from Bologna for £20 million. The Japanese star was seen as a replacement for Hector Bellerin at right-back, who had returned to Spain that same summer. Despite doubts about his ability and adaptability to the Premier League, largely due to his Asian background, Tomiyasu impressed most Arsenal fans in his debut match.

For the past three seasons, Tomiyasu has maintained a crucial role in Arteta’s starting lineup due to his versatility in the four-man defense.

However, The Sun recently revealed that the Arsenal management is seriously considering parting ways with the 25-year-old defender in the upcoming winter transfer window.

Arsenal wants to earn at least £25 million from selling the former Bologna star. The Sun confirms that several Serie A clubs, notably Inter Milan, Napoli, and Juventus, are eager to bring the Japanese star back to Italy.

This news has surprised the Arsenal fan community because, over three years in North London, Tomiyasu has earned the trust and love of the fans due to his significant contributions and professionalism, always playing with a high fighting spirit.

Tomiyasu is willing to accept being a substitute without complaints and always shows a positive attitude. He is a rare, silent warrior that many clubs dream of, but Arsenal’s move to sell him is not without reason.

Firstly, with the arrival of new signing Riccardo Calafiori in the recent summer transfer window, Arsenal’s defense, especially the full-back positions, is now overcrowded. According to Transfermarkt, Arsenal currently has nine defenders. Arteta always insists on having at least two players competing for each position, meaning the club currently has one surplus defender.

Over the past three years, Tomiyasu has been trusted by Arteta to play both right and left-back roles. With Calafiori joining, Arteta will likely let the Italian star share the left-back position with Oleksandr Zinchenko, while Kieran Tierney, after returning from injury, is also ready to fill this position. Therefore, this season, Tomiyasu will be fixed at the right-back position, but this area is already solidified by Ben White, making him an irreplaceable choice for Arteta. Besides White, the 42-year-old coach also has the versatile Timber, who can be used whenever White is unavailable.

Furthermore, Tomiyasu’s frequent injuries have made the coach lose confidence in him. Transfermarkt reveals that since August 2022, excluding Timber, who has been out for nearly a year due to a ligament rupture, no Arsenal defender has missed more days due to injuries than Tomiyasu, with a total of 250 days (30 matches).

This season, the 25-year-old defender has not played a single minute for Arsenal due to a knee injury sustained during the preseason. Arteta even expressed his frustration with Tomiyasu’s injury history in an interview.

“We don’t know how many days he needs to recover, but we will wait,” Arteta said.

More importantly, after many experiments, Arteta has gradually realized that Tomiyasu cannot become the modern full-back he desires. The Spanish strategist often asked Tomiyasu to move into the central area and participate in ball circulation with his teammates, but the Japanese star was neither flexible nor tactically astute enough to adapt to this complex role in Arteta’s system.

Tomiyasu is falling out of favor, similar to another traditional full-back at Emirates, Tierney, who was once considered a future captain but has now faded into oblivion and been discarded due to failing to meet Arteta’s technical requirements.

Additionally, from an economic perspective, parting ways with Tomiyasu could benefit Arsenal as selling him for £25 million would net the club a £5 million profit compared to what they spent to acquire the 25-year-old defender from Bologna three years ago.

This move could also benefit Tomiyasu as returning to Serie A, where he made his name, and playing in a less physically demanding league than the Premier League might help the 1998-born player regain his best qualities.

Arteta is known for his sophisticated player management skills, but when necessary, the 42-year-old coach does not hesitate to make ruthless decisions for the team’s success, even with key dressing room figures. Tomiyasu’s level is gradually being left behind in Arsenal’s competitive squad, so leaving might be the best option for both sides.