Arsenal star rips up his contract but Gunners already have replacement transfer lined up | Football | Sport

Takehiro Tomiyasu has reportedly agreed to terminate his contract with Arsenal. The defender has struggled with injuries since joining the Gunners from Bologna in 2021, and all parties appear to have agreed that a parting of ways is the best possible outcome this summer.

Tomiyasu was limited to just six minutes of football last season after missing the start of the campaign with a knee problem before then having surgery in February which will see him sidelined for another five months.

With Tomiyasu’s contract at Arsenal set to expire at the end of next season, BBC Sport report that the club and player have reached a ‘contractual settlement’ which will see his deal end early.

The 26-year-old will therefore be available as a free agent this summer, though his extended period of recovery from going under the knife could deter interest in the short-term. However, when fit and firing, there is no doubt that Tomiyasu is capable of battling it out in one of Europe’s top-five leagues.

Arsenal plan to replace their No. 18 with another defender, with negotiations ongoing with Valencia for Cristhian Mosquera. The Gunners have already seen a bid rejected for the centre-back, but Mikel Arteta’s side are determined to reach an agreement for less than his release clause.

Mosquera is heading into the final year of his contract with the La Liga outfit and thus they are hopeful that Valencia will be willing to entertain offers under £17million. But the 21-year-old has interest elsewhere in the Premier League and Europe so Arsenal will have to be wary of potential hijack attempts.

If the Gunners can get a deal over the line for Mosquera soon then they are likely to spend the latter stages of the summer transfer window prioritising their frontline. The north London outfit are keen to sign a natural No. 9 to lead the line next season, with reinforcements out wide also on their shopping list.

Sporting star Viktor Gyokeres has emerged as their top target in that department, with Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins also admired. Arsenal have also held talks with RB Leipzig over a deal for Benjamin Sesko, though that interest appears to have dwindled due to the potential finances that would be involved.