Takehiro Tomiyasu is leaving Serie A after two seasons. The Japanese international has been linked to multiple teams throughout the summer. In the end, Arsenal won the sweepstakes to acquire him from Bologna on a permanent deal.
The Gunners will pay €20M plus €3M add-ons for the defender, Calciomercato.com reports. Atalanta and Tottenham dueled for him earlier in the window, but neither could reach an agreement with Bologna. The Bergamaschi ended up signing Matteo Lovato for Verona and Merih Demiral and Juventus. Instead, the Spurs purchased Cristian Romero and are in advanced talks to get Emerson Royal from Barcelona.
The 22-year-old can feature either as a center-back or as a fullback. He has produced his best performances in the second role. Arsenal are on the verge of sending Hector Bellerin, who was on Inter’s radar for some time, to Real Betis.
Bologna signed Tomiyasu from Sint-Truiden in 2019 for €7M. He quickly established himself as a key cog of their backline, impressing for his energy, tenacity, and technique. He notched three goals and three assists during his time in Serie A.
The Felsinei were planning to make one major sale to make up for the losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. They ultimately opted to part ways with the defender; therefore, Riccardo Orsolini, whom Fiorentina coveted, will stay put. Tomiyasu played little first two matches of the season due to a late return from the Olympics. Bologna acquired Kevin Bonifazi and Arthur Theate to bolster the defense during the summer.