Arsenal have announced the departure of Takehiro Tomiyasu after reaching a mutual agreement to terminate the defender’s contract a year before its expiry.
The versatile defender has battled persistent injury issues over the past two campaigns played just six minutes for the club last season.
Tomiyasu played 84 times for the Gunners, scoring twice, including a crucial equaliser in the 2-1 win over Everton on the final day of the 2023/24 season. He joined the club from Bologna in 2021 and quickly established himself as a reliable defender at a time when Arsenal fans were used to the opposite.
Able to play across the backline, Tomiyasu quickly became a fan favourite in north London but made just 16 Premier League starts across the last three seasons.
Not expected to be fully fit until the turn of the year, he will now continue his rehabilitation as a free agent and is rumoured to be attracting interest from clubs in the Saudi Pro League.