"Everything went smoothly." Tomiyasu lifts the lid on Arsenal exit

After four seasons at Arsenal, defender Takehiro Tomiyasu has left the Emirates. As the Japanese player himself emphasizes, this wasn’t just a random turn of events.

Details: Tomiyasu explained that his decision came in the aftermath of last season’s setback, when injury and recovery limited him to just five minutes of play. Even now, he is still undergoing treatment, so free agent status will give him the freedom to focus on his recovery.

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Quote: "This wasn’t a sudden decision. First of all, I want to make it clear: the contract wasn’t terminated unilaterally, and I didn’t just say, 'I’m leaving.' We held a serious conversation and concluded that this was the best solution for me, the club, and everyone involved. So, I’m leaving. Everything went smoothly.

From my side, this is the right moment. I’ll become a free agent, and most importantly, this decision will allow me to fully focus on my recovery and myself. I spent four years at the club, but in the 2024/25 season I played only five minutes. The entire year was spent on rehabilitation. It was stressful, full of worries. To be honest, I no longer felt like I was part of the team and started to wonder, 'Is my future really here?'" Tomiyasu said in an interview with DAZN Japan.