Arsenal must sell Takehiro Tomiyasu in January, with the defender's persistent injury issues making him redundant in Mikel Arteta's squad, while youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly is ready to replace the Japanese full-back.
The Gunners were held to a goalless draw at home to Everton on Saturday afternoon, in a lackluster display that damaged the North Londoners' title hopes. The result leaves Arteta's side six points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool, who have played a game fewer.
The Spanish head coach was forced to call upon an overworked Jurrien Timber at right-back and 18-year-old Lewis-Skelly at left-back against the Toffees, with Tomiyasu's continual absence through injury hindering Arsenal significantly. With Lewis-Skelly looking comfortable in the back-line, Arteta ought to sanction the sale of Tomiyasu this winter, as the 26-year-old is no longer providing value to the title hopefuls' squad.
Arsenal Should Sell Tomiyasu in January
He's rarely available
Takehiro Tomiyasu
After an impressive 2020/21 season at Bologna, Arsenal opted to splash £19.8 million on Tomiyasu. Replacing Hector Bellerin as the Gunners' first choice right-back, the Japan international enjoyed a positive, but injury-hit, debut campaign in North London.
Since then, the 26-year-old has lost his place in Arteta's default starting eleven, with Ben White usurping him in the pecking order. This campaign, Timber has also leapfrogged Tomiyasu, with the former Sint-Truiden man nowhere to be seen.
Three separate knee injuries have meant that the versatile defender has been limited to just a single seven-minute cameo this campaign. These fitness problems add to his remarkable tally of missed matches since he arrived in English football, with TransferMarkt's data revealing that he's been unavailable for a total of 68 games for club and country since the beginning of the 2021/22 season.
Evidently now the third-choice right-back at Arsenal, Tomiyasu's position in the pecking order on the left-hand-side of defence has also taken a beating due to his perennial lack of availability. He's arguably now behind the likes of Riccardo Calafiori, Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jakub Kiwior and Lewis-Skelly at left-back.
Arsenal reportedly had offers to sell Tomiyasu last January, but ultimately rejected these proposals in favour of keeping the player. However, if similar approaches are made in this winter window, Arteta and the club's hierarchy have to cash in, with Tomiyasu's inability to remain fit making him a useless figure within the squad.
Earning a purported £100,000 a week, the defender certainly isn't justifying this outlay, and thus must be axed from Arteta's ensemble.
Tomiyasu's Premier League Statistics 2024/25
Appearances
Starts
Goals
Assists
Pass Accuracy
Progressive Passes Per 90
Tackles Per 90
Interceptions Per 90
Aerial Duels Won Per 90
Lewis-Skelly is Ready to Replace Tomiyasu
The starlet has impressed
MixCollage-11-Dec-2024-09-38-PM-1329
While letting go of Tomiyasu mid-way through the season could elicit fears over a loss of depth in defensive areas for Arsenal, particularly in an area that has been hampered by injury, teenager Lewis-Skelly appears ready to take the mantle. The youngster has started each of the Gunners' last two matches, and looked at home inverting into midfield from left-back.
Arsenal fans were raving over Lewis-Skelly's display against Monaco in midweek, and thus Arteta should create a clear pathway for the prospect to be granted more minutes. If Tomiyasu is ever to re-emerge from the shadows and recover from his injury issues, then he could end up blocking a potential star in Lewis-Skelly from blossoming.
All Statistics via FBRef - correct as of 14/12/2024
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