Arsenal paid almost twenty million euros to acquire Tomiyasu from Bologna in 2021. In North London he has since made 84 official appearances, spread over all four positions in the backline. Manager Mikel Arteta has repeatedly expressed his appreciation for the quality, versatility and professionalism of the Japanese in recent years.
However, in recent years Tomiyasu has been plagued by knee injuries, meaning he did not play more than six minutes for Arsenal last season. In February, the defender underwent surgery for this, and a few months later his contract was terminated by mutual agreement, so that he could recuperate in peace and quiet in his native country.
Tomiyasu has now made great strides in his recovery, but to really get fully fit again, he also needs group training again. The 42-time international is therefore looking for a club, he obviously also wants to be in the spotlight of the national team again with the World Cup coming up next summer. Japan is one of the Dutch opponents at the World Cup.
Ajax has been closely monitoring his situation for some time. The Amsterdam team is looking to strengthen the back positions and has several options in mind. The advantage of Tomiyasu is that he can play well on both flanks. Ajax could also use his game intelligence, height and experience in the European top.
If Tomiyasu can come close to the level he reached at Arsenal, he would be an absolute top asset for Ajax. The biggest question mark remains his fitness, after fourteen months without an official match. This will become clearer in the coming weeks. This also applies to the question of whether Tomiyasu would like to move to Ajax. In Amsterdam he can be reunited with compatriot Ko Itakura and plenty of playing time beckons, but there are more buyers on the coast for the signature of the multifunctional defender.
Worth a look
