Arsenal's Japanese defender Takehiro Tomiyasu has had a rough year following a number of niggling injuries. 

However, the Fukuoka-born full-back recently attracted transfer interest from several top Serie A clubs. This includes Inter Milan, Napoli, and Juventus. Although, Tomiyasu recently confirmed that he remains committed to Arsenal — as long as the club wants to keep him.

The player signed a multi-million-pound four-year deal with the club in 2021, with an option for a fifth year. Manager Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu quickly declared Tomiyasu an "important member of the squad" at Arsenal. Following his debut performance against Norwich City, he was named Arsenal's Player of the Month for September 2021. Tomiyasu was also a quick fan favourite among Arsenal fans.

However, if Gooners want to keep Tomiyasu, it's important that the defender stays fit in order to break back into the team. When on top form, Tomiyasu is a serious contender for a starting stop, and the club has previously spoken about addressing his fitness issues to ensure he gets more game time.

Tomiyasu's health issues

In a previous post, we highlighted Tomiyasu's knee injury back in 2023. Following his substitution during the Europa League match against Sporting Lisbon at the Emirates. The subsequent assessments confirmed that Tomiyasu sustained a significant injury to his right knee and would have to undergo surgery.

Back in March, Tomiyasu signed a new contract until 2026. However, his 2023 knee injury wasn't a standalone incident. In the three years since joining Arsenal, Tomiyasu has made just 83 appearances across all competitions, never appearing in more than 22 Premier League matches in a season. In total, Tomiyasu has missed extended runs of games on four separate occasions. In his first year with the Gunners, Tomiyasu suffered a muscle injury and was substituted in an eventual 4-1 win against Leeds United. His return, after missing one match, was short-lived following two separate injuries. Later in his debut season, Tomiyasu suffered a hamstring injury and was substituted again.

Tomiyasu is also known for wearing contacts when playing. In late 2023, Tomiyasu was taken off early in a Champions League match against Sevilla. Arteta confirmed the problem was not a muscle injury but an issue with his contacts. Of course, Tomiyasu is one of many footballers known to play while wearing contact lenses. Nowadays, contact lens brands like everclear and Air Optix offer specialised contacts made for more active use like sports and other physical activities. Contact lenses like the everclear ACTIVE also offer UV-blocking features for an extra layer of defence against harmful UV rays.

While eyewear isn't the most visible aid on the field, Tomiyasu and many other footballers are known to play competitive games wearing contacts. Another player well known for wearing contacts when playing was ex-Arsenal goalkeeper, Petr Cech. The Czech goalie was recently crowned the greatest goalkeeper to play in the Premier League in an online poll, followed by other legends Edwin Van der Sar and David de Gea. Prior to joining Arsenal to wrap up his career, Cech won the Golden Glove keeping 24 clean sheets and conceding only 15 goals in the 2004 season for Chelsea.

Aside from wearing contact lenses, some players, like former Dutch international Edgar Davids, wear sport goggles for vision correction or eye protection on the field. Davids was an iconic football figure known for wearing glasses, which he was required to wear following an operation to treat his glaucoma. Davids used custom-made goggles on the field and had to receive permission from FIFA to do so, but he is also known to wear sports eyewear brand Oakley's over-the-top (OTT) goggles and OG Racing Jacket.

As for Tomiyasu, "He had a problem with his lenses, but the rest, was great," stated Arteta. So, it looks like the ocular issues are behind a player who Arsenal fans know can add some serious value to the team if he can stay fit. And while a contact lens issues is a very uncommon problem, it is easily prevented, so that Tomiyasu can get back to playing his best football for a club he obviously has a deep affection for.