Trossard celebrates goal at the Emirates
Arsenal has acted swiftly after missing out on Mykhailo Mudryk to agree a deal with Brighton for the services of their wantaway attacker, Leandro Trossard. The imminent signing of Trossard has come with some mixed feelings, so Gooner Daily reached out to some selected Arsenal fans to give their own thoughts of the Trossard potential signing.
Many thanks to Barack, Not Obama, Keshi, Yomi and MC Bernnie for sharing their insights!
Without further ado, here are the pros and cons of signing Leandro Trossard, from the fan’s perspective.
Pros
Good Cover for Martinelli and Saka
This season, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka have featured heavily in all competitions, and injuries to the likes of Emile Smith-Rowe, as well as lack of trust in the likes of Marquinhos, has allowed them play without getting any good rest. Having a player like Trossard will allow Mikel Arteta rest his favored wingers adequately.
His Versatility
In his time at Brighton, Trossard has been used in a host of positions to devastating effect. He is primarily deployed as a left winger, but he has featured on the right wing, attacking midfield, center forward and surprisingly, as a left wing back. This versatility gives Arteta several potential options to feature the Belgian jack-of-all-trades.
Transfer Cost
In a world where Mykhailo Mudryk is going for €100m, signing Trossard for £27m is a shrewd piece of business. According to Sky Sports, the agreed fee is an initial £20m plus add-ons – it could reach £27m.
Good Squad Player
One can look at the 0-0 draw with Newcastle and remember how Arteta needed to make a sub to change the outlook of the game but he couldn’t delve into his bench to sort that out. Having a player like Trossard would have been welcome, because he would have provided that quality to see Arsenal through. He will certainly be a dependable squad player that can be counted upon when required.
Proven EPL Quality and Experience
Trossard has been in the Premier League for four seasons, and has the right levels of experience to come into the Arsenal squad and deliver from the off. There is no adaptation period required and he is also old enough to have a calm head when required.
Cons
His Age
In recent times, Arsenal has recruited players in a certain age bracket with the sole aim of building for the future, and in all honesty, Trossard doesn’t fit into that bracket. This essentially means that Arsenal is taking a short term approach, unlike the club’s initial target, Mudryk, that was a vital part of the club’s transfer market philosophy.
Is He Ready to Play a Bit Part Role?
In Trossard’s first three seasons for Brighton after arriving from Genk, he played 31, 35 and 34 league games for Brighton. This season, he featured in 16 of their 19 fixtures so far, which essentially means that he has become used to playing regular Premier League football for the team. In Arsenal, he will certainly be behind Martinelli and Saka in the pecking order, so will he start agitating for a first term berth, so will he be okay with a bit part role? Time would tell.
Injury Concerns
Per his profile in TransferMarkt, Trossard has quite an extensive injury record. With Arsenal already suffering some injuries to key personnel, one can only hope that he will spend more time on the pitch, rather than off it.
Inconsistency
Trossard is set to leave Brighton with a record of 25 goals in 122 games, which doesn’t light up any fireworks. He doesn’t really turn up against teams that play in low blocks, and joining a club like Arsenal, he will need to step up his game to fit to the kind of football the club plays.
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