Arsenal have confirmed that Takuma Asano will spend the 2017-18 season on loan with Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart.
Asano was loaned to Stuttgart after joining Arsenal in a £2million transfer from Sanfrecce Hiroshima last summer.
The loan deal was to enable Asano to earn a work permit in order to play in the Premier League, but the Japan international is yet to meet the criteria after playing in 21 of Stuttgart's 34 Bundesliga II games last season.
Asano scored four goals to help the club gain promotion to the top flight, and Stuttgart said earlier this week that the 22-year-old would be staying for another year to take on the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
Arsenal confirmed the deal on Thursday morning, adding: "We’d like to wish him all the best for the upcoming campaign."
Arsene Wenger had joked that Asano failed to gain a work permit when he joined Arsenal in 2016 because "he didn't cost £50m", but the French coach backed the striker to come good.
"He’s a player I believe in a lot," he said at the time. "I will take care of him and make sure he gets to the right place."
