Arsenal defender Ben White has lavished praise on teammate Takehiro Tomiyasu – and admitted that he usually avoids passing to him.
The Gunners spent more than anyone in Europe during the summer transfer window.
And with the likes of White costing an eye-watering £50 million, the Japan international only cost a modest £20 million in comparison.
However, the former Bologna right-back has been no less impressive than any Arsenal player this season following what’s been a stunning transition to Premier League football.
In December, Tomiyasu made headlines by revealing that the English centre-back usually fails to pass the football to him.
And although White has admitted that, claiming that it’s for merely tactical reasons, the former Brighton powerhouse effusively gushed over Tomiyasu nonetheless.
He told DAZN Japan, via Goal: “Tomi is amazing. He’s the best right-back I’ve ever played with. He’s always focused. It’s an honour to play next to him.
“I read the article about me not passing to Tomi. If you aren’t familiar with football you might not understand but opponents target passes to the right-back when they press.
“It’s not that I don’t want to pass to Tomi but it is the best way to build up our play so that it leads to the final third.”
Continuity
Whatever Arsenal are doing, manager Mikel Arteta will encourage continuaty – even if it means Tomiyasu receives less of the ball.
Prior to narrowly losing to Manchester City last weekend, the North Londoners had won five outings in succession and scored 19 goals along the way.
Building from the back has long been a staple of Arteta’s philosophy and you get the impression that it’s genuinely starting to click and pay dividends.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
