Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is leaving the club after mutually agreeing to terminate his contract.

The Japan international is recovering from knee surgery having played just six minutes of football last season. Tomiyasu faces up to another five months out as he continues his rehabilitation from the operation he underwent in February.

The 26-year-old missed the start of last season with a previous knee injury that also required surgery, in 2023. His existing deal was due to expire at the end of next season but BBC Sport has learned that Arsenal and Tomiyasu have reached a contractual settlement to end his contract.

Tomiyasu, who joined Arsenal from Bologna in 2021, made 79 appearances for the Gunners. Arsenal have already started looking at defensive reinforcements this summer, with Valencia centre-back Cristhian Mosquera among their targets.

Kieran Tierney has already left Arsenal to join Celtic, while there is also a chance Oleksandr Zinchenko leaves before the summer transfer deadline on Monday, 1 September.

Tomiyasu, who spoke of his frustration and pain during the injury enforced absence, once again underwent an operation on his knee in February and is expected to be unavailable until the end of 2025. Although his current deal expires next summer, there had been discussions over an early termination.