Tomiyasu on Juventus radar?
According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Juventus have set their sights on Arsenal defender Tahekiro Tomiyasu. Despite some notable improvements in their performances and the rise in their prospects of securing a top-four finish in the Serie A, head coach Massimiliano Allegri is apparently keen to boost his defensive ranks further and Tomiyasu’s quality, both at Arsenal and in Japan’s shocking 2-1 triumph over Germany in their World Cup opener, has raised the eyebrows of the Italian tactician.
Juventus have no intention of making a move in the winter, probably aware that Arsenal’s involvement in the Premier League title race makes any mid-season deal practically impossible, so they’re preparing to have a go in the summer.
Tomiyasu has so far proven to be a real hit following his £17 million transfer from Bologna last year. Having arrived to the Emirates as a centre-back, he has mostly played on the right defensive flank, but his arguably most memorable performance came on the left as he contained Liverpool star Mohamed Salah in the Gunners’ 3-2 triumph over the Merseysiders earlier this season.
Having spent two years at Bologna, Tomiyasu obviously has significant experience in the Italian top flight, which only makes him a more attractive prospect in the eyes of the Bianconeri.
But with 39 appearances across the back line in all competitions for Arsenal, the 24-year-old is an extremely valuable member of Mikel Arteta’s team, and with his contract not expiring before 2025, the club aren’t likely to entertain any offers for his services at this point. Further more, there’s no reason to believe Tomiyasu himself would be interested in leaving North London any time soon, given how well he’s settled in.
There has been plenty of discussion about Arsenal’s questionable ability to keep hold of their star players over the last couple of years, as well as the ability to lure top players into giving the Emirates a serious thought when picking out their respective destinations. It’s refreshing, therefore, to feel confident about a player being unlikely to want to leave Arsenal for a club like Juventus.
