ARSENAL 'COULD SELL OUT-OF-FAVOUR DEFENDER IN JANUARY' WITH £25M-RATED STAR 'TARGETED BY ITALIAN GIANTS INTER MILAN'

Three Italian sides are reportedly targeting an Arsenal defender in January
The injury-prone star is yet to play this season for Arsenal due to a knee problem
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Arsenal are reportedly open to selling an out-of-favour defender in January amid interest from three Italian clubs.

The Gunners have enjoyed a strong start to the Premier League season, with Mikel Arteta's defensive unit impressing to date.

Arsenal bolstered their defence over the summer with the addition of Italian international Riccardo Calafiori, with the £42m deal pushing another star further down the pecking order.

Italian Milan are reportedly one of the Italian clubs seeking to benefit from Takehiro Tomiyasu's situation at the club.

The Japanese defender joined the Gunners from Bologna in 2021 but has struggled with injuries throughout his time at the Emirates.

He has never been a regular feature in Mikel Arteta's starting XI despite being popular amongst fans and The Sun claim the manager his accepted he may lose him in January.

Inter Milan are believed to be leading the race to sign Tomiyasu, who is yet to play this season due to a knee injury.

The report adds that Tomiyasu is Inter's top target but they could face competition for his signature from Serie A rivals Napoli and Juventus.

Tomiyasu has made 83 appearances for Arsenal and has been a useful member of the squad when fit due to his versatility.

The club strengthened their defence over the summer with the arrival of Riccardo Calafiori while Jurrien Timber has now returned to full fitness.

Tomiyasu's game time looks set to be limited when he does make a full recovery and a move could make sense for both parties.

The Sun claim Arsenal will demand somewhere in the region of £25m to let him go.

2024-09-18T20:38:20Z dg43tfdfdgfd