He has a contract until 2025 with the option of a further year, but given Arteta’s proclivity for tying down his key squad members to longer deals, Tomiyasu may well be the next name on the list to join Bukayo Saka and Martinelli in committing their future to the Gunners.
Arteta already knows White would be pleased to see him stay, at least. The right-back is a huge fan of the Japan international and claimed the standard he plays to is ‘world class’, with the Arsenal star raving about his team-mate’s attributes that make him tick.
“Tomi is amazing. He’s always focused, it’s an honour to play next to him,” White said in January 2022 after his arrival from Bologna. “Tomi does the simple things at a world-class level. He is very alert and he isn’t careless in games.”
That may as well be the clearest message Arteta will get from his players that they want Tomiyasu to stay. And if he can continue keeping Zinchenko out of the team this season, few would argue against him deserving a new pay rise.
