Arsenal may have missed out on Mykhailo Mudryk but their pursuit of Brighton's Leandro Trossard may prove to be a better deal in their current situation. football.london revealed that the Gunners opened talks over a move for the Belgian forward on Thursday afternoon and have now agreed a deal worth £21million plus add-ons, football.london understands.
Trossard is a player who Arsenal have tracked since his time at Genk and now look set to sign the 28-year-old after his relationship with Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi broke down in recent weeks. The Belgium international had been left out of the matchday squad due to his 'poor attitude' with Trossard's agent releasing a statement demanding the club sell the attacker this month.
Mikel Arteta has been keen to sign a player who can play across the frontline having missed out on Mudryk last week and Raphinha in the summer - and Trossard's ability to do this could be key. Gabriel Jesus is set to be sidelined through injury until next month and is likely to be drafted back into the starting line-up once he is fully fit despite Eddie Nketiah's impressive form since the World Cup.
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A total fee of £27million including £6million add-ons. For a 28-year-old who is out of contract at the end of the season. Who has an 'attitude problem'? Looking at Arsenal's move for Trossard on the surface, there are some questions about the deal.
The move for the Belgian goes against the Gunners' recent transfer trend, but there are plenty of advantages to signing Trossard. At 28, he is in the prime of his career and has already proven himself in the Premier League.
The Belgium international has already scored seven goals in all competitions this season which equals the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah - with Martin Odegaard the only Arsenal player to score more so far this season. Trossard's versatility and attacking threat will be a key asset for the Gunners in the Premier League title race and could make a huge difference given the squad depth available to Manchester City - allowing Arteta to give rests to his key attackers.
At an initial fee of £21million, it represents a decent piece of business by sporting director Edu Gaspar when you look at deals for Mudryk (£88million), Antony (£86million) and Jack Grealish (£100million) in recent windows. Arsenal do not need an attacker to come into the squad and replace Saka, Martinelli or Jesus when he is fit.
Arteta needs a reliable squad option that can score goals consistently and will not get frustrated at their lack of game time given the attacking talent available to him already. Trossard has signed a contract until 2027, which would see him become 32-years-old by the time his deal ends. That means the Gunners should get the entirety of his 'prime' years at the Emirates Stadium.
The benchmark set by Mudryk's and Antony's transfers has inflated fees for attackers in the market, shown by Bayer Leverkusen's £90million valuation of Moussa Diaby - who Arsenal had considered making a move for. Trossard may not be an attractive signing for the fans, but when you look into what he will offer the Gunners for the rest of this season and the future, all the signs point to him becoming a success for a bargain price under Arteta.
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