In previous periods in Arsenal history, the same cycle has haunted them whenever they've missed out on silverware, with star players often opting to depart to bigger and better things. We saw it with Thierry Henry, we saw it with Robin van Persie and we saw it with Alexis Sanchez and Ashley Cole. The Gunners have been stuck in the same, frustrating trend over the years. But things are different now.
The North London side came within touching distance of winning the Premier League title last season, only for Manchester City to swoop in on their way to winning the treble. In previous years, Arsenal's failure may have led to the departures of star players such as Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. This time, they stayed put for the long haul, and now Mikel Arteta is reportedly set to repeat that trick with another key player.
Arsenal contract news
Over the last year or so, we've seen the likes of William Saliba, Saka and Martinelli all put pen to paper on new deals at Arsenal in what has been a period of success off the pitch to match their work on the pitch at The Emirates. Having kept hold of Arteta's best players, the Gunners could now finally write a chapter filled with silverware once again in their history. They're not done there with the contract extensions it seems, either.
According to 90Min, Arsenal have opened contract talks with Takehiro Tomiyasu and want to have the deal sealed by January. The North London club are reportedly confident that the defender will put pen to paper on a new deal, with his current contract set to expire in 2025.
Arteta previously expressed his desire to keep hold of Tomiyasu, saying via 90Min: "I really want him to stay. I value the player a lot. I really like him. He's loved and respected by everybody at the club. He's getting a lot of minutes now. He's getting to a level of availability that we need to make an impact on the team. He will continue to be with us."
"World-class" Tomiyasu an underrated cog in the Arsenal machine
Though Tomiyasu isn't a regular starter at Arsenal, he remains a key part of Arteta's squad, given their need to balance both European and domestic football this season. Tomiyasu's stats show that he is more than capable of stepping into the starting role when needed, meanwhile, in what has helped his side rise the ranks in the Premier League.
Player
Progressive Carries Per 90
Progressive Passes Per 90
Interceptions Per 90
Takehiro Tomiyasu
1.40
6.32
1.40
Ben White
1.43
5.14
0.86
The man ahead of Tomiyasu in the pecking order, White, has been full of praise for his fellow right-back this season too, saying, via One Football: “Tomi is amazing. He’s always focused, it’s an honour to play next to him. Tomi does the simple things at a world-class level. He is very alert and he isn’t careless in games. From the beginning, he’s completely understood English, and speaks as well as I do.”