Morning all, comfortable Friday to you all.
Let’s begin with information through David Ornstein that Arsenal are in talks with Takehiro Tomiyasu over a brand new contract. He says in The Athletic (£):
The Premier League membership have made a suggestion to the Japan worldwide with the 2 events anticipated to achieve an settlement sooner or later.
Excellent news, and if you happen to’re a daily reader you’ll know simply how extremely I charge Tomiyasu. We’ve come to simply accept his versatility fairly simply, with out actually pondering an excessive amount of about how unbelievable it’s that we now have a participant who you possibly can deploy in both full-back place, or both centre-half place, and never fear for a single second about any drop off in his capacity to do the job. There actually aren’t too many gamers on the market who can try this in addition to he can.
Once we signed Jurrien Timber, we thought we have been getting a right-back who can function at centre-half, however in pre-season – maybe extra out of necessity than invention – he performed at left-back, and did properly. However, had he not picked up that harm on his Premier League debut, we’d now have two gamers who can function comfortably all the best way throughout the back-line. His absence although makes Tomiyasu an much more essential member of the squad, and the Japan worldwide is somebody who offers you an actual sense of defensive safety when you concentrate on the group when he’s in it.
Sadly, we’re going to overlook him for some time in January due to the Asian Cup going down in Qatar. Japan play Indonesia, Iraq and Vietnam between the 14th and the twenty fourth, with the knock-out rounds working all the best way to February tenth. Even with the break in January after the FA Cup third spherical, he may probably miss Premier League fixtures towards Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool, and West Ham – and if Japan go the gap, there’ll in all probability be a necessity to provide him a while off to recharge his batteries after the pressures of a global match.
I do know we now have some Japanese readers so I received’t say I hope the match goes badly for them, but when it does, it would alleviate the January headache the supervisor can have about Tomiyasu’s absence. Let’s additionally not overlook that Thomas Partey may very well be gone that month too. The supervisor spoke about his health earlier than the Lens recreation, saying it was attainable he may return earlier than the tip of the 12 months, but when he does, Ghana will certainly name him up for AFCON which takes place in Ivory Coast between January 14th and February eleventh.
I suppose you can say, given the actual fact we’re high of the league and have come by our Champions League group in spectacular style, that we’re not likely lacking Partey. He performed a bit at the beginning of the season at right-back, not in midfield, and since then has been absent/injured. I do suppose it’s encouraging that we now have coped with out him, and in some methods I’m happy the group is evolving past him, however we’re solely an harm or suspension away from actually needing a participant of his high quality once more. So there’s a contact of excellent fortune, if you wish to name it that. Maybe although, it’s proof to Mikel Arteta and Edu that it’s not a lot Partey himself we’d like, however somebody of comparable high quality for that place.
In earlier seasons the group suffered in his absence, and whereas I actually suppose he’d have contributed a lot had he been match, it exhibits our reliance on him has diminished. Perhaps it simply makes the choice to maneuver on and discover a youthful participant to refit that place a bit simpler. Let’s see. As for whether or not something will occur in January, the market itself dictates rather a lot, however dealing with out Tomiyasu, Partey, and Timber (who at the least is making progress however nonetheless stays far from a comeback), might dictate extra.
Proper, I’ll go away it there for now. We’ll have a Wolves preview podcast for you a bit later on Patreon, till then, have a superb one.
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