Barcelona chief Deco confident of surprise transfer raid on Arsenal | OneFootball

Barcelona sporting director Deco is reportedly keen on a surprise potential transfer move for Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu.

The Gunners have been without Tomiyasu basically all season because of a serious injury, but the Japan international has often been a solid performer for the club when fit.

It now looks like Barca are eyeing up a surprise move for Tomiyasu, with Deco seemingly confident a deal could be done on the cheap, according to Fichajes.

The report states that Barcelona have monitored Tomiyasu in the past, so it seems they have a long-term admiration for the player, even if he’s had his recurring fitness issues.

With Tomiyasu set to be out of contract in 2026, it seems Barcelona feel they could negotiate a deal to sign the 26-year-old for a reasonable price this summer.

Takehiro Tomiyasu celebrates for Arsenal after a Tottenham own goal last season (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Takehiro Tomiyasu to Barcelona could be a smart sale for Arsenal

Even if Arsenal might feel they’d do well to keep hold of a solid and reliable squad player like Tomiyasu, it might also be smart to cash in on him while they can.

The north London giants might be concerned about giving Tomiyasu a new deal due to his poor record with injuries, so it would surely be best to avoid losing him for free.

Tomiyasu has attracted transfer interest from Serie A in recent times, so there should be options out there for AFC if they decide to put him on the market.

Barcelona fans might not be that keen on this potentially risky deal, but there’s no doubt that Tomiyasu could be good enough to have an impact for Hansi Flick’s side if he manages to stay fit.

Arsenal shouldn’t miss Tomiyasu too much as they have plenty of cover for both full-back positions with the likes of Jurrien Timber, Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori, Jakub Kiwior and Myles Lewis-Skelly.