OFFICIAL: Arsenal sign €23m Tomiyasu from Bologna
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 31 Aug 2021 22:48 BST
- 3 min read
Arsenal have completed a deal to sign Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu from Bologna.
The 22-year-old Japan international defender has moved to the Emirates Stadium for a fee of €18.5 million (£16m) up front plus potential bonuses of €4.5m.
Tomiyasu has typically played as a centre-back for Bologna but is also capable of operating as a right-back, which is where Mikel Arteta is reported to want to use him, with Hector Bellerin leaving the club to join Real Betis.
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Where has Tomiyasu played before?
Tomiyasu has played in Europe since 2018, when he moved as a teenager to the Belgian league with Sint-Truiden from Avispa Kukuoka, his hometown side. He spent a successful year with Sint-Truiden before moving to Bologna for a fee in the region of €9m.
Since moving to Italy, he has played 60 Serie A matches for Bologna, where he has impressed with his adaptability, speed and two-footedness.
Moreover, he has established himself as aa regular with the Japan international team over the course of the last three years, winning 23 caps for the Samurai Blue and scoring one goal. He was also involved in his nation’s run to the semi-finals of the Tokyo Olympics, which ended earlier this month.
Is he worth €18.5m?
According to FootballTransfers’ valuation, Takehiro Tomiyasu’s value is €17.7m, meaning that Arsenal are set to overpay very marginally for the versatile defender.
Our value is derived by an algorithm that studies hundreds of data points and takes into account outside factors such as age, position and contract status.
Arsenal may have overpaid for their summer signings previously, but the deal they have made for Tomiyasu, who is the second-most valuable Japanese player, appears to be on the money.
