West Ham United’s task of signing Takehiro Tomiyasu has just got a whole lot harder with Il Resto del Carlino reporting that Arsenal have entered the race for the Bologna ace’s signature.
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Hammers boss David Moyes is desperate to bolster this centre-back ranks at the London Stadium. And his former player – Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, could scupper his plans.
One player on West Ham’s radar is thought to be Bologna ace Tomiyasu according to Corriere di Bologna.
The East London outfit already faced a really tough challenge, with Tottenham also in the race for the 23-capped Japan international’s signature (David Ornstein).
Now there is further bad news for the Hammers.
West Ham now face Arsenal competition for Takehiro Tomiyasu
Il Resto del Carlino claims that Gunners boss Mikel Arteta wants to bring the Bologna centre-back to The Emirates this summer.
And if true, West Ham’s task might have just gone from difficult to nigh-on impossible.
Fighting off Tottenham would have been hard enough but with Arsenal now in contention too, we have to say that our hopes are slim.
That’s a shame because Tomiyasu would be a truly excellent addition to Moyes’s ranks this summer.
In 29 Serie A outings last season, the defender averaged 1.4 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and 2.3 clearances per game. He also won an average of two aerial duals per match (Who Scored).
The 22-year-old is also very versatile, and can operate at centre-back or even in the deep-lying midfield position.
The Japanese central defender is valued at around £15 million according to according to respected journalist David Ornstein.
That would represent exceptional value for the Hammers.
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Unfortunately, we think that he might just be out of range for us this summer, however.
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