Arsenal Transfer Rumor: Trossard to Arsenal imminent

Just a day after it was reported that Arsenal were not interested in signing him, it looks like Leandro Trossard is close to signing with Arsenal from Brighton & Hove Albion, according to the footballing world’s favored soothsayer Fabrizio Romano.

UPDATE: Arsenal have agreed to a £21M + addons transfer fee for the Belgian. The deal could reach £26M total.

While not a homerun signing like Mudryk was supposed to be, this one is absolutely crucial for the Gunners. The season is about to hit the dense portion of the fixture list where Arsenal’s depth will be tested as they seek to further their Premier League, FA Cup, and Europa League campaigns.

I wrote about it yesterday, but while Trossard’s age (28) isn’t quite in line with Arteta’s well-known requirements, the reality is that not every single signing is going to be exactly what you want. He may be older than the current Arteta-preferred mold, but the PL experience he brings is invaluable, and his goal scoring acumen is not too shabby, either. Before falling out with Roberto De Zerbi, he scored 7 goals and added 2 assists. That the bulk of his goals came against the likes of Liverpool (3), Chelsea, and Manchester City, means he can step up against the biggest names in the PL.

Barring any hiccups (insert Chelsea gazump joke here), this is the kind of response you want to see in the wake of the Mudryk saga. The speed with which this deal is happening means that Arsenal aren’t messing around. The big fear was that there would be no moves made after missing out on Mudryk as no “big” or “perfect” target was available in January. Arteta has long since preached that Arsenal will only go after players that will improve the side, and despite the question marks about Trossard, Arteta wouldn’t go for him if he didn’t think he would improve the side.

The move is anticipated to be finished quickly, although whether or not he will be available for the Manchester United match this Sunday remains to be seen. Arsenal will need to register Trossard by tomorrow in order to have him available for Sunday, so getting a contract signed and agree to ASAP will be imperative. Regardless, the relief that a signing is imminent is tremendous.

Now, Mikel, how about a midfielder?

We will, as always, update as the situation evolves.

UPDATE: The transfer has been given the official Fabrizio Romano green light with a fee of £27m agreed between the clubs.