Arsenal have reportedly offered Takehiro Tomiyasu a new-and-improved contract amid the Japan defender's stellar start to the 2023-24 campaign.
The former Bologna man was an instant hit at the Emirates following his arrival on deadline day 2021, having been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur before joining the red side of North London.
Tomiyasu became Mikel Arteta's first-choice right-back following the departure of Hector Bellerin, although he was soon struck down by injuries and played second fiddle to Ben White last season.
However, the 25-year-old has won his place back in the starting lineup thanks to a string of solid performances in recent weeks, scoring one goal and setting up two more in 18 matches.
Tomiyasu opened his Gunners account in October's 5-0 thrashing of Sheffield United, before providing two assists for Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard in Wednesday's 6-0 Champions League hammering of Lens.
The versatile defender - who has been deployed as both a left-back and right-back this season - has played the full 90 in each of Arsenal's last three Premier League games and has also made the first XI in their most recent four contests in the Champions League, helping the Gunners seal top spot in Group B with a game to spare.
Tomiyasu's current deal expires in 2025, but the Premier League leaders can choose to extend his terms by an additional 12 months, and Arteta expressed his desire to continue working with the Japan international before last weekend's 1-0 win over Brentford.
"I really want him to stay. I value the player a lot, I really like him. I think he's loved and respected by everybody at the club," Arteta told a press conference when asked about Tomiyasu's contract situation.
"He's getting a lot of minutes now, he's getting his availability to the level that we need for him to make an impact in the team and I think he will continue to be with us."
It had previously been reported that Tomiyasu's camp were negotiating a new deal with Arsenal, and according to The Athletic, the Gunners have now made a renewal offer.
All parties are supposedly confident of striking an agreement "in due course", which would see Tomiyasu become the latest in a long line of key players to renew their contracts at the Emirates.
Over the past 13 months, all of Martinelli, Gabriel Magalhaes, Reiss Nelson, Bukayo Saka, Aaron Ramsdale, William Saliba and Odegaard have signed on the dotted line, and talks are also ongoing with White's entourage.
In total, Tomiyasu has recorded one goal and five assists in 71 matches for Arsenal since 2021, although he was taken off at half time for White in Wednesday's clash with Lens, by which point Arsenal were already 5-0 up.
However, Arteta's decision to withdraw the Japan international was merely a case of managing the minutes of every player in the squad, and he is set to be involved in Saturday's home fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.
A win for Arsenal over Gary O'Neil's side would temporarily take them four points clear of second-placed Manchester City, who are not in action until Sunday's blockbuster fixture with Tottenham. body check tags ::
