Arsenal plan new ‘long-term’ contract for ‘key component’ under Arteta amid Bayern transfer links
Arsenal are planning to offer Takehiro Tomiyasu a new contract amidst interest from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, according to reports.
Tomiyasu has been solid for the Gunners since making the move from Serie A side Bologna on deadline day in the 2021 summer transfer window.
The Japanese international is a very versatile player. He can effectively play as a full-back and wing-back on either side and as a central defender.
That sort of versatility is priceless and his impressive performances this season have seen him usurp Oleksandr Zinchenko as Mikel Arteta’s starting left-back.
Tomiyasu is undoubtedly better defensively than his Ukrainian teammate, while there is no doubt that the latter is better on the ball, although the gulf in class offensively is smaller than the difference defensively, in my humble opinion.
The former Bologna player should be Arteta’s starting left-back going forward but his injury problems since moving to Arsenal are a slight worry.
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Arteta greatly missed Tomiyasu during the title run-in last season as his side threw away the chance to win the Premier League and stop Manchester City from winning the Treble.
There has been a lot of talk recently about interest from German giants Bayern, with transfer expert Florian Plettenberg saying Thomas Tuchel’s side pushed ‘extremely’ hard to land the Arsenal star in the summer transfer window.
Bayern’s interest is reportedly still there and they are eager to try again in January, and if they fail again, could come back at the end of the season.
This could be agent-driven transfer talk as Tomiyasu’s salary is not in the same bracket as his fellow starters and a report from the Telegraph has fittingly said that Arsenal are eyeing up contract discussions with the 25-year-old.
Journalist Mike McGrath says Arsenal want Tomiyasu to agree fresh terms to ‘ward off interest’ from Bayern.
Arteta is eager for the 37-cap Japan defender to agree a new ‘long-term’ deal with his current deal expiring in a little over 18 months, although the club has the option to extend it to 2026.
Arsenal’s player of the month for October is ‘admired’ at the Allianz Arena but a transfer appears goounlikely given he is a ‘key component’ under Arteta.
Tomiyasu – who was linked with Tottenham before moving to the Emirates – scored his first goal for the Gunners in their rout of Sheffield United on October 28 and played a key role off the bench in his side’s crucial 1-0 Premier League win over Manchester City earlier this campaign.
He scored on a day that Eddie Nketiah bagged his first league hat-trick for the Gunners, dedicating his treble to his deceased aunt, while Tomiyasu dedicated his goal to his mother, who passed away last year.
Takehiro Tomiyasu dedicated his first goal for Arsenal to his mother who passed away last year. ❤️
— AFCnewsroom (@TheAFCnewsroom) October 28, 2023
