Mikel Arteta looks set to be welcoming his latest recruit to Arsenal with Edu having agreed a fee of £21million plus add ons with Brighton for Leandro Trossard, football.london understands. The Gunners have moved quickly to sign a new attacker in the winter window after losing out on long-term target Mykhailo Mudryk to Chelsea.
The 22-year-old Ukraine international was Arsenal's priority target in January but after seeing three bids rejected, London rivals Chelsea swooped in, paid Shakhtar's asking price and unveiled Mudryk to their supporters at Stamford Bridge all in the space of one weekend.
The sudden and perfectly executed hijack from the Blues dealt Arteta and Edu a major blow, but it appears panic did not enter their thoughts as Trossard has been identified as his ideal alternative. Raphinha and Moussa Diaby were the other names garnering interest from Arsenal, but their lofty price tags set by Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen appears to have deteriorated interest from north London.
