As revealed by Steve Kay while speaking on KS1 TV, Arsenal tried to offer right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu in the deal to sign former Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori last month.
The 25-year-old played a key role when available for the Gunners last season but the club has decided to put the player on sale this summer.
Although there has been widespread interest from Saudi Arabian clubs, they have not received any offer for the Japanese international.
DID ARSENAL USE TOMIYASU IN A SWAP DEAL TO SIGN FORMER SERIE A STAR DEFENDER?
Tomiyasu’s future at the Emirates Stadium is still uncertain as of now and more so following the the arrival of Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna earlier this summer. The Italian versatile defender signed for Mikel Arteta’s side in a deal worth £40 million.
However, as per Steve Kay, Arsenal were planning to use Tomiyasu as a makeweight in a deal with Bologna as they were trying to use the defender and reduce the transfer fee but Bologna were hesitant to take this offer.
The Serie A side owing half the transfer amount to Calafiori’s former club FC Basel complicates such cash-plus-player transfer.
Speaking about Calafiori’s transfer & Tomiyasu’s involvement, Kay said:
“There was actually talks when Arsenal were doing the Calafiori deal of him (Tomiyasu) possibly going back there, because they’re like-for-like players they’re exactly similar players. From what I’ve been told, Arsenal did actually offer, but because Bologna needed to pay Basel half the fee what Arsenal paid them, bringing in a player in a swap deal didn’t make sense.”
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The Asian star’s recent injury adds further issues in managing a deal. The Gunners need to find a club that first agrees to sign the £30m star and also handle the defender’s absence until September.
Tomiyasu suffered a calf injury in 2021 and struggled with a knee injury in 2023. Don’t take us wrong, he is a talented player and fills a direct slot in any decent team.
BOLOGNA COULD MAKE A SURPRISE U-TURN IN THE RACE TO SIGN TOMIYASU
Bologna might have rejected the deal earlier, but they are still in contention to table a bid. The Italian club are financially able to make a move after collecting profits from the sale of Calafiori and Joshua Zirkzee. The club knows the player well and a return is on the cards.
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Arsenal will not be much affected by the number 18’s absence as they have several options on board. Oleksandr Zinchenko is expected to start the majority of the games and the English giants might also give a chance to Myles Lewis-Skelly. The manager can promote the academy player to make up the numbers in the squad. The youngster played well in the preseason. But let’s not create hype around the player and let him enjoy his time at the Emirates Stadium and develop his craft.
