The Arsenal transfer crossroads comes in final stages as Leandro Trossard’s future hangs in the balance. Leandro Trossard, the Belgian forward, is at a vital point in his career. Arsenal evaluate his future with contract talks having made little progress. Arsenal has presented an improved salary, but the talks broke down quickly for a reason. Arsenal’s best deal still does not extend Trossard’s current deal past 2027. At 30 (31 in December) Trossard wants to get games and job security, not a short term salary increase. His camp is already “considering opportunities in the summer market”. Whereas Arsenal run the risk of Leandro Trossard’s future of walking out of the door for free in 2026-27, if no solution arises.
Concrete Offers and Suitor Interest
Multiple clubs are circling for Trossard’s signature:
- Premier League Rivals: Two unnamed English teams have submitted “concrete offers,” though Arsenal have yet to formally respond.
- Borussia Dortmund: The Bundesliga side is “monitoring” his situation. They are viewing him as an undervalued asset who could thrive with consistent starts.
- Saudi Pro League: Al Ittihad’s €30–35m bid was rejected last September due to the timing constraints. But the Saudi interest persists.
Arsenal value Trossard at £17m–£25m, reflecting his age and the squad role.
Arteta’s Strategic Dilemma
Mikel Arteta’s approach in the transfer market will influence Trossard’s position:
1. Team Rebuilding: The £50m capture of winger Noni Madueke from Chelsea has created uncertainty around playing time in attacking positions. Arsenal also still have an interest in Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze or Real Madrid’s Rodrygo. However, whatever they do next may not be good a news for Trossard.
2. Financial Constraints: Arsenal has just spent £205m this window (including Viktor Gyökeres and Martín Zubimendi), and they will need to generate the similar money to balance the books for Financial Fair Play. The selling of Trossard would allow them to complete deals for priority targets such as Rodrygo, who Arteta views as a “world-class” option that would improve the left wing.
3. Risk of Replacement: Although Trossard is a dependable option who was heavily involved last season (20 goal contributions), Arsenal will have to weigh losing him without securing Eze or Rodrygo first is with a busier schedule of matches after the international break.
Trossard’s Legacy and Arteta’s Calculus
Since joining from Brighton in 2023 for £27m, Trossard has delivered 28 goals and 23 assists in 124 appearances. His clutch performances—including critical goals in title-race matches—cemented his value as a “brilliant signing” with exceptional availability. Arteta initially urged him to stay after positive talks in July, but the arrival of Madueke and pursuit of another winger have complicated his role. As one analyst noted, selling Trossard for Eze would be an “acceptable sacrifice” to elevate creativity in midfield.
The Road Ahead
- Player priority: Trossard seeks to start consistently – an unlikely prospect at Arsenal since Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Madueke and Kai Havertz are all ahead of him in the pecking order.
- Deadline pressure: Arsenal need to act quickly with the deadline approaching on September 1 so that Trossard can be sold now instead of risking, losing their best leverage come 2026.
- The domino effect: If Trossard goes, it arguably hastens the club’s moves for either Rodrygo (£78m+) or Eze (£60m), although rival interest from Liverpool and Tottenham may detract from securing those deals.
Conclusion
Arteta distilled the precariousness: “The market is still open… we’ll have to balance the squad”. For Trossard, this summer amounts to a decision between the fight for minutes in North London or carving out a legacy-defining spot elsewhere. For Arsenal to have title aspirations, it may have to do so through this risky stand-off.
As featured on GoonerNews.com
