Arteta impressed by Gabriel Jesus as Arsenal defeat Sevilla
Mikel Arteta reportedly blocked Arsenal from selling Takehiro Tomiyasu to Inter Milan over the summer by refusing to sanction his exit. The versatile defender has since shone in north London and showcased why his manager had such faith in his ability, despite a lack of playing time last season.
The Gunners were busy over the summer, investing heavily in top-quality additions to provide depth in numerous positions. David Raya, Kai Havertz and Declan Rice all arrived to improve the standard of the squad and ensure that the current crop of stars would not grow complacent.
Jurrien Timber was also signed from Feyenoord for a fee in the region of £38million, with the Netherlands star admired due to his ability to play across the backline. The move for the 22-year-old prompted discussions about where that would leave Tomiyasu in the pecking order given that the Japan international is equally as versatile.
It has now emerged that Arteta personally prevented the 24-year-old from leaving the Emirates Stadium outfit over the summer and ruled him an important player. According to Fabrizio Romano, Inter Milan pushed to sign Tomiyasu in July and felt that they had the chance to lure him away from the club due to squad competition.
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However, Arteta and Edu were in full agreement that the ex-Bologna star should not leave the club and still had plenty to offer. The defender has since made 11 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions and earned praise for how he has slotted in at right-back when injuries have struck and prevented a defensive reshuffle.
Speaking last month, Arteta sang the praises of Tomiyasu and suggested that he was the only player in his squad who had his mixture of attributes. He said: “I always said that I’m really confident that the moment Tomi has consistency, he’s going to be a tremendous asset for us. He already is.
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“He can play in any position in the backline, any formation in the backline, we don’t have another player like him. At defending, he’s probably one of the best that I’ve seen in many situations. His concepts, his principles, the way he applies that, the way he goes into duels…now he needs a run of games so that physically he’s at his best.
“If physically, Tomi is at his best, we’re going to have a player that is so important for us. Especially the way he reads danger. The way he resolves urgent situations with a lot of composure in the right way. His skill to defend, the way his body is built, it makes him a really complete player. It’s really difficult to run past him. He’s always alert. It’s the way he’s been raised and educated. He’s always super focused and for a defender that’s a big, big attribute.”
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