Takehiro Tomiyasu will hold a medical on Tuesday ahead of joining Ajax for the remainder of the season, with the former Gunner currently a free agent.
Sami Mokbel reports for the BBC that Takehiro Tomiyasu will hold a medical on Tuesday, with the plan for him to join on a short-term deal lasting until the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
Mokbel writes that Tomiyasu has completed his rehabilitation programme following knee surgery in February, and he’s back training and ready to restart his career.
Tomiyasu’s contract with Ajax wouldn’t include an extension option, so if they wished to keep him beyond the end of the current season, they’d need to negotiate fresh terms at that stage.
Mokbel’s update follows various reports of Ajax interest in Tomiyasu throughout this week, with HandofArsenal reporting on Wednesday that the former Arsenal defender had reached a short-term agreement with the Dutch club.
The defender reportedly had interest from the Premier League and Serie A clubs as well, after reaching a mutual agreement with Arsenal to terminate his contract earlier this year.
For Tomiyasu, this deal agreement is excellent news and a great first step towards restarting his playing career. To return to the pitch with a good club like Ajax would be a major boost, particularly with the World Cup coming up next summer.
But given his injury history, there will be a tense wait for the outcome of the defender’s medical on Tuesday.
Japan boss Hajime Moriyasu recently suggested Tomiyasu still has a fair chance to be involved in the World Cup tournament.
“To answer simply, I think he can make it,” Moriyasu said. “If he is in good shape, he will be a candidate to help Japan challenge to win the World Cup in North America.”
Tomiyasu has been a starter for Japan whenever he’s fit in recent seasons. The defender even played a couple of the early games of Japan’s World Cup qualification campaign, but his last appearance for the side was in June 2024. With any luck, he’ll be back involved by next March.