Versatile Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu has reportedly accepted the Gunners' offer of a new long-term contract.
The Japan international was an instant hit at the Emirates after his arrival in the summer of 2021, when Arsenal beat North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to his signature, but fitness issues soon began to plague him.
Tomiyasu played more of a peripheral role in the 2022-23 season due to injury setbacks and the form of Ben White on the right-hand side, but he has risen back to prominence under Mikel Arteta in 2023-24.
Happily accepting minutes at right-back, left-back and centre-back, the 25-year-old scored his first Arsenal goal in their 5-0 Premier League crushing of Sheffield United in late October and has also banked another three assists from 20 games this season.
Injury cruelly struck for Tomiyasu again in December, as the former Bologna man was sidelined with a calf problem for a few weeks, but he returned in time to feature off the bench in a 2-1 loss to Fulham before jetting off for the Asian Cup.
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While in Qatar, Tomiyasu played four matches for Japan in the heart of defence as the Samurai Blue advanced to the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Iran on Saturday, and the 25-year-old is now due to return to Arsenal for the rest of the domestic season.
During his hot streak of form over the autumn, it was reported that Arsenal were working on a new-and-improved deal for the defender, who is still on the same terms he penned when joining the club two-and-a-half years ago.
Tomiyasu is now in the final 18 months of his current deal, which also includes an option to extend until 2026, but according to Fabrizio Romano, the Japanese defender has now given the thumbs-up to a long-term renewal.
Arsenal are understood to have accelerated discussions with Tomiyasu's camp since Japan's exit from the Asian Cup, as both the board and Arteta were determined to secure his long-term future.
German champions Bayern Munich were said to have shown interest in signing Tomiyasu in January, but Arsenal slapped a not-for-sale sticker on the 25-year-old, whose new deal should be announced imminently.
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Tomiyasu has a total of one goal and six assists to show from 73 matches in an Arsenal jersey, and the Japan international will soon become the latest member of Arsenal's young core to pen fresh terms in North London.
Sporting director Edu has overseen the renewals of a plethora of crucial players in the past couple of years, namely Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Aaron Ramsdale and Martin Odegaard.
Tomiyasu's fellow full-backs White and Oleksandr Zinchenko are thought to be the next in line for fresh terms, although neither man's existing deal is due to expire until the end of the 2025-26 season.
White and Zinchenko both started Arsenal's 3-1 win over Premier League title rivals Liverpool on Sunday, but the latter was replaced by Jakub Kiwior at half time, and Arteta confirmed after the game that another calf injury was to blame for the Ukrainian's early withdrawal.
As a result, Tomiyasu could be set for an immediate return to the Arsenal starting lineup when the Gunners continue their bid for glory away to London rivals West Ham United on Sunday.
Ben Knapton
