Report shares the real reason why Arsenal snubbed Aarons and Lamptey

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Arsenal were linked with Norwich City’s Max Aarons and Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey throughout the summer, but the Gunners decided to snub the two English full-backs to sign Takehiro Tomiyasu instead.

The Japan international is a fantastic young player. He impressed everyone in Italy since joining Bologna in 2019, and a big move was only a matter of time. He has now got that and it’s time for him to show his worth.

However, many fans are wondering why Arsenal decided to ignore moves for Premier League proven players like Lamptey and Aarons, who are both exceptional in their own right. The Athletic tell us why!

Why Arsenal snubbed Tariq Lamptey and Max Aarons

If Arsenal fans were asked to pick a player at right-back, most would’ve asked for a right-footed Kieran Tierney. That’s understandable as the Scotsman is one of the league’s best left-backs at the moment.

Both Aarons and £50 million-rated Lamptey would’ve checked that box in a way, but Mikel Arteta, Edu and our entire recruitment team were looking for a right-back of a totally different profile.

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The report claims that Arsenal wanted a player who would be able to tuck into midfield without possession. We were looking for someone who could help build our attack from the back and potentially form a partnership with Ben White on our right side.

To add to that, Arteta wanted someone who was very good in the air. Lamptey is 5ft 5in tall, while Aarons is only half a foot taller. Tomiyasu, on the other hand, is 6’2″ and his numbers in aerial duels convinced Arsenal that he was the one.

The report further adds that Arteta sees the Japanese international as a ‘hybrid’ defender. He is someone who can play at right centre-half, right-back and even right wing-back, which will give us a ton of options.

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Tomiyasu is two-footed as well. That means he will always have the option to cut inside when he’s pressed to play the ball infield. That makes him a really safe option and we can’t wait to see him in Arsenal’s colours after the international break.