Juventus are planning to test the waters for the potential signing of Takehiro Tomiyasu from Arsenal in the coming months, according to a report.
LONDON, ENGLAND: Takehiro Tomiyasu of Arsenal celebrates after scoring the team’s fifth goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Sheffield United at Emirates Stadium on October 28, 2023. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Daniele Longo reports for Calciomercato that Juventus will make enquiries to try to understand the feasibility of a move for Arsenal’s Takehiro Tomiyasu in the coming months.
Longo claims the valuation is around €20m (£16.8m), and that Napoli and Inter Milan are both also very keen on the defender.
As for the player, Longo suggests Tomiyasu would be happy to be able to return to playing in Serie A.
Arsenal’s Takehiro Tomiyasu reacts prior to the English League Cup third round football match between Brentford and Arsenal at the Brentford Community Stadium in London on September 27, 2023. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Before he can think about his long-term future, Tomiyasu’s immediate concern is getting back fit. But the frequency of his injury absences certainly isn’t helping his case at Arsenal.
Tomiyasu might return from this latest absence to find the likes of Riccardo Calafiori, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jurrien Timber, and even Kieran Tierney ahead of him on the left, with Ben White and Timber (again) also further up the pecking order on the right.
The defender could still have a role at centre-back, given Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba can’t play every game, but it would be unlikely he’d become a regular starter there.
WOLFSBURG, GERMANY: Takehiro Tomiyasu of Japan lines up during the international friendly match between Germany and Japan at Volkswagen Arena on September 09, 2023. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Yet it’s hard to fully assess Tomiyasu’s squad role when he’s not available to play anyway.
The Japan international’s last competitive appearance for Arsenal was on the final day of the 2023/24 campaign, as he scored against Everton.
Injuries have prevented him from playing any part in 2024/25 so far, and that doesn’t look set to change imminently.