Ex-Arsenal defender set for Ajax move as free agent | OneFootball

Ajax are closing in on deal to sign former Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu as a free agent.

Tomiyasu has been without a club since his contract with Arsenal was terminated by mutual consent earlier this year. The defender’s deal was brought to a premature end after a wretched run with injuries in North London.

A series of knee and muscular issues restricted Tomiyasu to just five minutes of football last season and he has not featured since appearing as a late substitute against Southampton in October 2024.

Ajax are now prepared to offer the Japan international a lifeline, as Tomiyasu looks to resurrect his World Cup dream.

The 27-year-old, who has won 42 caps for The Samurai Blue, is set to pen a short-term deal in the Netherlands. Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Tomiyasu is nearing a contract with the Dutch side that will run until the end of the season.

Ajax will assess his fitness and performances until the summer before deciding whether to offer the versatile defender an extended contract. It represents a fresh start for Tomiyasu, following what he described as a ‘peaceful departure’ from Arsenal.

“We concluded that, ‘this is the best outcome for me, the club, and everyone involved.’ That’s why I left early — it was a peaceful departure, a mutual closure,” he reflected on the decision to leave the Gunners.

“I was at Arsenal for four years, but in the 2024–25 season, I only played five minutes. I spent the entire year in rehabilitation.”

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