Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu has signed a contract extension with the club, but how long will the new deal last?

Arsenal confirmed on Wednesday morning that Takehiro Tomiyasu has signed a new long-term contact with the club, with technical director Edu Gaspar and club manager Mikel Arteta clearly pleased to keep the player around.

“We are very excited to have Tomi with us for more years to come,” Edu told Arsenal.com. “He has huge qualities both on and off the pitch, and offers so much strength and versatility to our squad.

“Tomi is a top professional and it’s great that he’ll continue to play an important role in the coming years, as we work towards achieving our goals.”

“We are so pleased to have Tomi commit his future with us,” Arteta added. “Together with his natural ability and strength, Tomi’s attitude, mentality and values are first-class. Tomi is loved by everyone and has been an integral part of the squad since joining us.

“The way he trains, with his desire and determination to be the best version of himself every day is admirable. We look forward to continue working with Tomi in the future years.”

Arsenal didn’t confirm exactly how long this new contract lasts, but James Benge of CBS Sports and Kaya Kaynak of Football.London report that the player has signed a deal to 2026, with the option to extend by a further year to 2027.

There have been some comparisons drawn to Ben White’s situation, with the right-back also recently signing a new contract. His deal will last until 2028, with an option to extend to 2029.

Though an extension for Tomiyasu is obviously good news, he hasn’t committed for quite that long.

But Tomiyasu’s injury situation is a lot less certain, with the 25-year-old only making 20 appearances (10 starts) for Arsenal this campaign due to injury, having been similarly unavailable for large parts of previous seasons as well. White has played 39 times (34 starts).

Arsenal will rightly expect Tomiyasu to prove himself now, showing he can stay fit and repay their investment and faith in him. Should that happen, you’d expect a further extension in another couple of years.

Tomiyasu himself suggested it’s time for him to give back to the club now.

“When I’m on the pitch I feel the love and energy from the supporters,” Tomiyasu told Arsenal.com.

“We are connected a lot so I want to give them something back. I am playing for Arsenal, and this means I’m playing for the Arsenal supporters. That’s why I dedicate my life to this club and the supporters.

“I want to give them something back. The connection between players and supporters is a different level and that makes it more special.”