Romano reveals Arsenal transfer that can ONLY change for one reason

Robin Bairner

• 2 Aug 2023 13:43 BST
• 5 min read

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta continues to count on the services of Takehiro Tomiyasu, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Tomiyasu, 24, has made only 53 appearances for Arsenal in his two seasons at the club after arriving from Bologna and has found himself a fixture on the bench.

With the 33-time capped Japan international apparently a peripheral figure to Arteta’s plans, he had been linked with a move back to Serie A, with rumours suggesting that the Gunners had even offered him to some of Italy’s leading clubs.

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Football transfer news specialist Romano, though, denies that is the case – although the Italian journalist did warn that the situation could change.

“Takehiro Tomiyasu hasn’t been offered to any Italian club despite reports. He’s regular part of Arsenal plans,” he Tweeted.

“Situation could only change if Arsenal sign new full-back but nothing is close or advanced at the moment.”

Tomiyasu has found himself firmly behind Ben White in the Arsenal pecking order and did not even see a minute of action as the Gunners ran out impressive 5-3 winners over Barcelona in their most recent friendly match.

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Arteta’s plans becoming clear

Arsenal have been linked with a new defensive signing for much of the summer, with uncertainty over the future of Kieran Tierney also hanging over the club after he was forced out of the starting XI last season by Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Arteta, meanwhile, is taking a cutthroat attitude with his squad and, as revealed exclusively by FootballTransfers, is ready to dump Aaron Ramsdale to make David Raya his first-choice goalkeeper if he is able to negotiate a deal for the Spaniard with Brentford.

That the manager has his thoughts turned towards a goalkeeper is a further sign that he is not about to use precious transfer funds to strengthen his defence, which suggests that he is not planning to replace Tomiyasu or Tierney this summer as things stand.