Takehiro Tomiyasu came into this world in Fukuoka, Japan, on November 5, 1998. He decided to shake things up and start playing football instead of professional swimming, which would have meant following in the footsteps of his two elder sisters.

While his sisters were enrolled in swimming lessons, he was all set to join them. However, a chin ιnjury rendered him temporarily unable to use the pool, so he decided to attend and thoroughly loved a soccer session instead.

His mom, Kayoko, has come clean about how she raised her son with a laid-back approach. “I didn’t have any special schooling policy [for Takehiro], but I basically left it to my independence and looked over the judgment of right and wrong so that I wouldn’t make a mistake,” reveals Tomiyasu’s mother Kayoko.

Coach Tomiyasu suggested that 11-year-old Tomiyasu try out for the FC Barcelona Soccer Camp. A spot in the youth program of the Spanish club was subsequently given to him, but he found it difficult to go to Spain, and the transfer never happened.

After that, in 2009, Tomiyasu signed with Avispa Fukuoka of Japan, where he played central defense after initially starting the season as a midfielder. In the past, Tomiyasu has spoken about how former Argentina international Javier Mascherano was an inspiration to him on the football field.

After gaining experience in Avispa Fukuoka’s development system, he became a mainstay with the first squad in 2017. From 2015–2017, Tomiyasu appeared in 54 games for the Japanese national team’s first team, scoring one. Tomiyasu sailed for Europe in January of 2018.

Tomiyasu joined Sint-Truidense, a Belgian club, on January 8, 2018. He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract that would keep him with the club until the summer of 2021. Tomiyasu debuted for the Belgian club on May 12, 2018, coming in as a substitute in a 2-1 victory over Royal Antwerp.

He played 40 games across all competitions for Sint-Truidense in 2018–19, starting every game and scoring once. In a 4-2 victory over Anderlecht on November 25, 2018, Tomiyasu—who was primarily used as a center-half—scored his sole goal for Sint-Truidense.

In the summer of 2019, Tomiyasu was once again on the move, this time to Bologna in Italy, after catching the notice of the Belgian side with his strong displays. Bologna announced the signing of Tomiyasu from Sint-Truidense on July 9, 2019. At the time, estimates put the transfer cost at close to €7 million.

“I have the impression that the defensive tactics are finely prepared,” Tomiyasu remarked of Serie A after completing his move to the Italian club. “The striker’s level is likewise extremely high. An additional reason I joined this squad was so I could study specific defensive strategies in depth,” he said. “My goal is to be the first one on the pitch.”

Tomiyasu debuted for Bologna’s first squad in a 3-0 Coppa Italia first-round victory over Pisa on August 18, 2019. He made his Serie A debut on July 18, 2020, in an away loss to AC Milan by a score of 5-1.

Prior to the allure of a move to the Premier League, Tomiyasu played for Bologna for two complete seasons, during which time he netted three goals in sixty-four games across all competitions. On the day of the transfer deadline, August 31, 2021, Arsenal signed Tomiyasu from Bologna. Reportedly worth roughly £16 million including bonuses, he inked a “long-term” deal with the north London club.

Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal’s north London rivals, were reportedly interested in signing Tomiyasu earlier in the same transfer window, according to The Athletic. At Arsenal, he was given the number 18 jersey. “I am thrilled to be here because Arsenal is one of the biggest clubs in the world. Playing in the Premier League was my big dream when I was young, so I am happy to be here,” Tomiyasu exclaimed to Arsenal’s in-house media channel upon the announcement of the deal. “So excited! I never thought I’d be able to play for Arsenal. It’s absolutely unbelievable.”

Mikel Arteta, manager of Arsenal, spoke out after the transfer announcement to clarify his feelings about the Japan international. Arteta claimed at the time that Takehiro is a powerful defender who has played at a high level in both Italy and Serie A. He possesses excellent defensive qualities, strong technical ability, and maintains cool when he has the ball in his possession. As a team player, he will be crucial.