Takehiro Tomiyasu pictured with Crystal Palace ace after Arsenal contract cancelled
Takehiro Tomiyasu shared an image of himself with a Crystal Palace ace on social media after his Arsenal contract was terminated by mutual agreement.
The Japan international joined the Gunners in 2021 from Bologna in a deal worth £19.8million [Sky Sports].
Tomiyasu's career got off to a bright start in North London as the defender showed his versatility, appearing 22 times in various positions across the backline.
And after another strong showing as a backup in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons, things were looking good for the former Bologna man as Arsenal pressed forward in search of their first Premier League title since 2004.
However, Tomiyasu endured an injury-ridden campaign last term, and after making just one appearance for the Gunners, the Japanese defender and his club reached an agreement to terminate his contract.
Tomiyasu shares post with Daichi Kamada
Tomiyasu's contract with Arsenal was terminated in order to "start a new chapter", according to the North London club [Arsenal].
And during his time away from football, the 26-year-old shared an image with Palace ace Daichi Kamada on his Instagram story, captioned with a magic wand emoji.
Arsenal looking to add new defenders
Football Insider Verdict
Following Tomiyasu's departure as a free agent and Kieran Tierney's move to Celtic, the Gunners are suddenly looking a lot lighter at the back.
Oleksandr Zinchenko is also available for transfer this summer, meaning Arsenal have plenty of work to do.
Cristhian Mosquera is expected to join from Valencia, but the Spain Under-21 international will be arriving at the Emirates as cover for William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
Myles Lewis-Skelly's emergence has made left-back a less troublesome position than it once was, but the England international may want to move into the midfield soon, given that is where he played throughout the majority of his career in Arsenal's academy.
For now, the attacking positions are clearly the Gunners' priority, but it would be no surprise to see them dip into the transfer market in search of a player with a similar skillset to Tomiyasu.