TAKEHIRO TOMIYASU has signed a new two-year deal at Arsenal – with the option of a further 12 months.
The Gunners defender, 25, is the latest player in North London to commit his future to the club - as revealed by SunSport earlier this month - and has doubled his salary in the process.
Signed from Bologna in the summer of 2021 on a four-year contract for around £17m, making 73 appearances so far, the Japanese international admits playing at Arsenal is “a dream”.
And with a potential Premier League and Champions League double on the cards, Tomiyasu is eyeing a successful end to the campaign.
He said: “Arsenal is one of the best clubs in the world. And it’s a dream to play for this club, so I'm happy.
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“I'm playing for Arsenal and this means I'm playing for Arsenal’s supporters. So that's why I dedicate my life for this club, and for the supporters. I want to give them something back.
“When I joined Arsenal, we were not playing in European competitions. But now we are playing in the Champions League and we are in the title race. We improved a lot.
“Now, I want to achieve something. I want to win something with my team-mates, with the supporters.”
Boss Arteta said: “We are so pleased to have Tomi commit his future with us. Together with his natural ability and strength, Tomi’s attitude, mentality and values are first class.
“Tomi is loved by everyone and has been an integral part of the squad since joining us. The way he trains, with his desire and determination to be the best version of himself every day, is admirable. We look forward to continue working with Tomi in the future years.”
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And sporting director Edu added: “We are very excited to have Tomi with us for more years to come.
“He has huge qualities both on and off the pitch, and offers so much strength and versatility to our squad. Tomi is a top professional and it’s great that he’ll continue to play an important role in the coming years, as we work towards achieving our goals.”
Tomiyasu joins the likes of Ben White, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard and William Saliba to have committed over the past 18 months.
Arteta believes he has built a squad with a core of young talent that can challenge for major trophies for several years to come – with Tomiyasu a big part of that on and off the pitch.
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Having struggled with injury issues this season, Tomiyasu – who can play on either side at full-back – is currently competing for a starting spot with the likes of White, Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko and the returning Jurrien Timber.