Latest news with #TakehiroTomiyasu
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Takehiro Tomiyasu explains his sudden departure from Arsenal after his contract was terminated by mutual consent this month
Takehiro Tomiyasu has explained his sudden departure from Arsenal. On July 4 it was announced that the defender had left the Gunners by mutual consent. Tomiyasu struggled with injuries during his time at Arsenal and only made one appearance last season, which came against Southampton. Having undergone surgery in February, Tomiyasu remains out with a knee problem and it is quite unusual for players to leave a club while they are still sidelined. Tomiyasu stated that he feels less anxious after leaving the club. He told DAZN Japan: 'It wasn't a sudden decision to leave. 'First of all, I want to make it clear that my contract wasn't terminated unilaterally, and I didn't unilaterally say: 'I'm leaving'. 'I was there for four years, but I only played five minutes in the 2024-25 season, and I spent a whole year in rehabilitation. 'I was under a lot of stress and anxiety. To be honest, I wasn't feeling like I was there anymore, and I was wondering: 'Is this where my future is?'. Tomiyasu revealed that some of his team-mates were left surprised by his departure. He said: 'After I decided to leave, I said my final goodbyes to the players, coaches, and staff. I went to the locker room or staff room one by one and said: 'I'm leaving.' 'As I said my goodbyes to each and every one of them, I was reminded that I was loved, and that was when I was able to leave. 'I think that was a good thing. The players were surprised, too, as I still had time left on my contract and I was injured.' Tomiyasu signed for Arsenal from Bologna in 2021 and went on to play 84 times for Mikel Arteta's team, scoring twice. He has been capped by Japan on 42 occasions since making his international debut in 2018. Mainly deployed at right-back, Tomiyasu is also capable of playing at left-back or centre-back, with his versatility having been seen as a useful asset by Arteta.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Takehiro Tomiyasu explains early Arsenal exit after injury nightmare in new interview
Takehiro Tomiyasu says he feels 'free' after agreeing to terminate his contract with Arsenal a year early. Arsenal and Tomiyasu agreed to part ways at the start of this month after the defender struggled with injures last season. A knee issue restricted the Japan international to just six minutes of action in the 2024/25 campaign and he is due to be on the sidelines until the end of this year after undergoing surgery in February. Tomiyasu's injury woes led to him holding talks with Arsenal over ending his deal a year ahead of schedule. The defender insists it was a mutual decision for him to leave early and he is now in a better place after cutting ties with Arsenal. 'It wasn't a sudden decision to leave,' Tomiyasu told DAZN Japan. 'First of all, I want to make it clear that my contract wasn't terminated unilaterally, and I didn't unilaterally say: 'I'm leaving'. 'We had a proper discussion and came to the conclusion that: 'This decision is best for me, for the club, and for everyone'. So I'm leaving. It all ended amicably. 'From my perspective, it's the best timing. I'll be free, and most importantly, the most positive thing about this decision is that it will allow me to focus on my rehabilitation and on myself. 'I was there for four years, but I only played five minutes in the 2024-25 season, and I spent a whole year in rehabilitation. 'I was under a lot of stress and anxiety. To be honest, I wasn't feeling like I was there anymore, and I was wondering: 'Is this where my future is?' 'After I decided to leave, I said my final goodbyes to the players, coaches, and staff. I went to the locker room or staff room one by one and said: 'I'm leaving.' 'As I said my goodbyes to each and every one of them, I was reminded that I was loved, and that was when I was able to leave. 'I think that was a good thing. The players were surprised, too, as I still had time left on my contract and I was injured.'
Daily Mirror
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Departing Arsenal star says he finally feels 'free' after agreeing shock exit
Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu reached a mutual agreement with the club to terminate his contract earlier this month after struggling with injury last season Takehiro Tomiyasu has opened up on the circumstances behind his early exit from Arsenal after agreeing to leave the club 12 months before the end of his contract. It was announced earlier this month that the Japan defender, 26, would be leaving the Gunners as a free agent after reaching a mutual agreement with the club to exit his contract early. Tomiyasu had been contracted until the summer of 2026. Tomiyasu quickly established himself as a key player under Mikel Arteta after joining the club in 2021. But the right-back has been plagued by injuries during his time as a Gunner and was restricted to just six minutes of action during the 2024-25 campaign. Explaining the process behind his Arsenal exit, Tomiyasu told DAZN Japan, via The Standard: 'It wasn't a sudden decision to leave. First of all, I want to make it clear that my contract wasn't terminated unilaterally, and I didn't unilaterally say: 'I'm leaving'. 'We had a proper discussion and came to the conclusion that: 'This decision is best for me, for the club, and for everyone'. So I'm leaving. It all ended amicably. 'From my perspective, it's the best timing. I'll be free, and most importantly, the most positive thing about this decision is that it will allow me to focus on my rehabilitation and on myself. 'I was there for four years, but I only played five minutes in the 2024-25 season, and I spent a whole year in rehabilitation. I was under a lot of stress and anxiety. To be honest, I wasn't feeling like I was there anymore, and I was wondering: 'Is this where my future is?'' Tomiyasu is expected to be sidelined until the end of year after undergoing knee surgery back in February. He went on to reveal that the Arsenal dressing room were 'surprised' to learn he would be leaving the club this summer, given his contract status. He added: 'After I decided to leave, I said my final goodbyes to the players, coaches, and staff. I went to the locker room or staff room one by one and said: 'I'm leaving.' 'As I said my goodbyes to each and every one of them, I was reminded that I was loved, and that was when I was able to leave. 'I think that was a good thing. The players were surprised, too, as I still had time left on my contract and I was injured.' Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Arsenal Part Ways with Fan-Favourite Tomiyasu
Takehiro Tomiyasu's Arsenal Exit Marks a Quiet Farewell to a Reluctant Hero Versatility that Made Tomiyasu Indispensable For all Arsenal's elegant passing sequences and Arteta's carefully choreographed structure, Takehiro Tomiyasu was the reliable undertone — the functional thread in an increasingly complex tapestry. A player who never sought headlines, yet whose quiet excellence once drew lofty praise. 'We don't have a player like him,' Mikel Arteta said in 2023, and that wasn't hyperbole. Tomiyasu could plug any defensive hole — right-back, left-back, centre-half — and do so without fuss. Advertisement His ability to adapt made him invaluable. That same September, he was named Arsenal's Player of the Month and scored his first goal for the club — one he dedicated to his late mother. It felt like the start of something, not the highlight reel's lone bright spot. Promise Unfulfilled by Persistent Injury But the cruel irony of football is that consistency isn't only tactical — it's physical. Tomiyasu's body simply wouldn't comply. Since Arteta's glowing remarks, he started only 14 more games. Arsenal confirmed this week that the club and the Japan international have mutually agreed to part ways, a year before his contract was due to expire. Injuries were a relentless adversary. According to Transfermarkt, Tomiyasu spent 690 days sidelined while at Arsenal, missing over 100 games. Those absences didn't just rob him of minutes — they denied Arteta his Swiss Army knife in moments of need. Advertisement One of those came in March 2023, when Arsenal's title challenge began to unravel. Tomiyasu suffered a knee injury against Sporting Lisbon, just as William Saliba also limped off. With both defenders absent, Arsenal's back line faltered, and so did their pursuit of the Premier League crown. Final Season Defined by Frustration The 2023-24 campaign offered no redemption arc. A calf injury, disrupted by the Asia Cup, forced him out of 13 games. A knee injury in pre-season wiped out his US tour. When he finally returned, it lasted just six minutes — a short-lived cameo against Southampton that ended in yet another setback. By February, the decision was made for surgery. He hasn't played since. Advertisement 'He knows hopefully that we are all here, we have all been trying to help him,' said Arteta. 'But it's tough… it's a very lonely process.' Photo: IMAGO Tomiyasu's dedication to recovery was unwavering, even if fate seemed uninterested in rewarding it. Some of his rehabilitation took place away from the club — a change of scene, an attempt to reclaim hope. A Career Chapter Closed, but Not the Story Across 84 appearances in four years, Tomiyasu left an imprint not measured in goals or assists, but in structure, stability, and humility. He remains, in Arteta's words, 'probably one of the best [defenders] that I've seen in many situations.' Advertisement His Arsenal story ends not in triumph, but in quiet recognition — of a player who gave everything, even when his body refused to follow. There will be no fanfare, no final lap of honour. Just a poignant reminder that sometimes, football's most dependable servants slip away with little more than a nod.
Saba Yemen
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Saba Yemen
Arsenal Terminates Contract with Japanese Defender Tomiyasu
London – SABA: Arsenal Football Club announced the termination of the contract of Japanese defender Takehiro Tomiyasu by mutual consent. The club explained in a statement published on its official website that the 26-year-old player will leave the team after three years at Arsenal, having joined from Bologna in 2021. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (International)
