Widespread reports on twitter this morning that Arsenal have agreed personal terms with Brighton’s Belgium international Leandro Trossard and just waiting for Brighton to agree to a fee rumored to be around £20m.
Trossard is a well known quantity in the Premier League having featured 116 times for Brighton with 100 starts. He also has 25 goals and 13 assists for a 0.39 G+A ratio in the Premier League.
Trossard is right-footed but typically plays on the left at Brighton but he’s a versatile player who can play left or right wide forward and attacking mid. He scored against Arsenal in April 2022 when Brighton beat the Gunners at the Grove. He followed that up with another goal a week later at the Toilet when Brighton beat Tottenham 1-0.
Trossard isn’t a great dribbler but he’s not terrible either. In fact, all of his stats scream “great squad player”. But he also has a lot of Premier League experience and won’t require any adjustment period, so should be able to provide cover immediately for Arsenal’s wide forwards. And with Smith Rowe also on the mend, this signing means that Arsenal’s front line is mostly covered.
In addition he’s priced fairly low so we could potentially get in another player, perhaps a DM or CF as cover for those two positions.
Trossard has had a few notable problems at Brighton but we have already seen that Arteta isn’t going to brook any dissent. If Trossard doesn’t pan out, his salary is currently just 40k a week so it shouldn’t be too hard to move him on or pay him off.
Credit to Arsenal for pivoting quickly from Mudryk to Trossard. Clearly they had a plan B and swiftly enacted it.
Welcome to Arsenal. Now, help us win the League.
Ornstein reporting it’s a done deal pending the medical.
Feels to me like good business assuming he is willing to accept a backup role much of the time. Can play either wing, and a good amount of PL experience. In that sense, perhaps better than Mudryk.
And we save money for another midfielder.
I thought the same, probably better than Mudryk. Unless Mudryk turns out to be the next Messi-Ronaldo-Mbappe.
I’m glad we backed our Mudryk scouting with serious money (as much as I had doubts about it). And I’m glad we had a backup plan. Professional stuff.
We’re signing Trossard to a four year deal, so the 40k he may have been on at Brighton definitely doesn’t apply.
Happy to have short term reinforcements, but a bit worried we may have had to alter longer term strategy to accommodate him. He’s 28, surplus to requirements at Brighton – is he the profile we want as we look ahead to the next 2, 3, 4 years with UCL football? Not so sure. Attitude comments from De Zerbi and his refusal to train after the World Cup make me worried that he may not accept a backup role the way our older players are at the moment.
All that said, I want to see him succeed and will be fully supporting him in an Arsenal jersey. COYG!
Unless he’s daft, he will recognize the squad that he’s coming into and understand that he’s going to be part of a rotation now. He can play through the middle as well, so will probably start games in the Europa League to rest Eddie. I doubt if he gets more than 60k a week in the new deal, which is relatively easier to move on.
We were prepared to spend 80m on Mudryk, and now have just spent 26m on Trossard… is it possible we complete the Belgian component of our team and finally bring Tielemans in for 20-25m for midfield reinforcement? There’s no way Declan Rice is coming to Arsenal, expect Chelsea and United to throw absurd money at him this summer.
I wouldn’t rule it out. If you’re Rice, who would you want to play for out of Arsenal, Chelsea and United? Arsenal are becoming a more attractive proposition by the week. Arteta will have a cohesive plan for him. Our project is years ahead of both of theirs. Potter’s team is performing below what they deserve but what they deserve is 7th place. Ten Haag’s is punching above its weight, buoyed by luck and generous refereeing with an unhealthy dependence on midfielders who are about to fall off a cliff physically. Neither team is likely to win the league this year or next.
Besides which both Chelsea and United have already thrown insane money around. One team’s transfer policy is to buy all the players, while the other clearly struggles with talent ID. I’m more scared that City come in for him.
Mudryk was long term. Think young Cristiano to United, the vibe I got from the Chelsea heist.
Trossard is sort term, and that’s fine. We are leading the league in January. If he helps to gets us over the line in April, it will have been worth it.
Like Gabi11, he finishes with both feet, and deply them roughly 50/50 on shots. So he can slot right, slot left and let Gabi11 play centrally as backup to Eddie.
To summarise… we have cover for both wings, we can (i think) play him and Martinelli together or alt, we have Emile coming back (runs and finishing from deep), Eddie (runs in behind), and Jesus who can do everything (no pun was intended). Agree with Josh… I’d have liked us to get Weghonrst. But hey, Trossard is the short term move we need.
Even at the higher reported salary of 90k, this is a smart move. I hated seeing him on the pitch when we played Brighton. He’s that annoying dude that has real skill – 2 footed and can place a shot at any moment. This is a huge boost to our title hopes – he can spell anyone of our front 3 and let our guys stay healthy to the end. I have no doubt Arteta has had conversations with him about his role and set clear expectations. The culture has now been established. He doesn’t have the stature to come in and make waves. Zin, Xhaka, Partey, Ode and Jesus will keep him in his place. He’s here to win trophies.
Yeah. This is… fine. He’s a bit of a luxury player and I don’t think his talent level merits that. I have concerns about his work rate off the ball. Where he excels is his movement off the ball in tight spaces, his linkup and his ball striking. Those qualities will translate to Arsenal and he will score goals for us. But he absolutely has to pull his weight in the team press and toe the line in the clubhouse. If not it will be a short stay.
I don’t think we ever planned to do this. I think this is an opportunity that presented itself and that we took after options 1, 2, 3 and maybe 4 and 5 fell through (Mudryk, Raphinha, Moussa Diaby, Ferran Torres were the first four…). He is absolutely not the profile we were targeting. He’s the wrong age, he doesn’t have 1 v 1 ability and he’s not an outlet. He’s a lot better than nothing. But it’s a marriage of convenience and a disappointing signing after having Mudryk dangled in front of us for so long.
By the way, Chelsea signed another 35 million pound winger from PSV.
It sounds like I contradicted myself there. I meant his movement when we have the ball is excellent, but I have concerns about his desire and determination to press as a team when we are out of possession. That aspect of this team is SO important.
I suspect he will be a late sub kinda guy for most prem games. So far, all of the attackers have gotten the pressing religion – with the exception of Pepe. As you say, if he doesn’t press, he won’t last long. Still, I have to believe Arteta has made this concern known to the player, and gotten a satisfactory response. Eddie, Ode, Fabio and Gabi have all had to adjust to the pressing requirements. It might take a bit but he’ll have a clear understanding of the expectations. Cautiously optimistic here.
I think at first he will say and do all the right things. Longer term this deal has a high chance of going sour. But, and it’s a bit but: If he scores even one goal that helps us win the title, it will have been worth it. That’s probably the crux of this deal from the perspective of the brain trust.
Agree that beating the door down on a low block will be his niche.
And then again – looks like he’s more of a regain possession guy than we knew.
https://twitter.com/benvenceremos/status/1616199589517791239?s=20&t=pSMQs9gKVT7g3MtN0QnduA Just behind our captain
And now Fresneda and Kiwior – two defenders? Reading that both are pretty flexible positionally, Kiwior can play in midfield. Cedric must be on his way to Fulham and Holding’s days might be numbered.
I’m quite pleased! Now, when our front line gets tired, we will have a new quality substitute at our disposal. He will run tirelessly at tired legs, provoke, move quickly, shoot quickly. That will make us better at finishing games. And I think he is just good enough to keep the wingers on their toes. Good business.