Arsenal agree £27m deal with Brighton for Belgian attacker Leandro Trossard
Arsenal have agreed to sign Leandro Trossard from Brighton; the Belgium international told the Seagulls he wants to leave in January due to a breakdown in his relationship with head coach Roberto De Zerbi; Trossard, who is 28 years old, has six months remaining on his existing Brighton contract.
The agreed-upon fee is initially £20 million plus add-ons; it could reach £27 million.
Now, Trossard is expected to undergo a medical examination and finalize personal terms with the Premier League’s top club.
If the Belgian international is registered by Friday at noon, he will be eligible to play for Arsenal against Manchester United on Sunday, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
The Gunners have been searching for a new attacker and missed out on the £85 million transfer of Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk to Chelsea.
Trossard is in the final six months of his contract with Brighton, but the Seagulls had the option of extending it for an additional year.
Tottenham’s offer for Trossard was rejected, and the club is now pursuing Roma’s Nicolo Zaniolo.
Despite the 28-year-public old’s requests to leave the club, Brighton refused to sell one of their star players until chairman Tony Bloom’s valuation was met.
Last week, Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi confirmed Trossard would not be included in the Albion squad to face Liverpool due to his poor attitude in training.
The 28-year-old has not played for the Seagulls since their New Year’s Eve 4-2 loss to Premier League leaders Arsenal, and he now says he will not sign a contract extension with the club.
The following statement was issued by Trossard’s agent, Josy Comhair: “Prior to Leandro’s departure for Qatar, Brighton intended to extend his contract, but the parties were unable to reach an agreement. Leandro has also indicated that he is prepared for the following step.
“After the World Cup, Leandro and another player engaged in a training altercation over a trivial matter. Since then, the trainer has not communicated with Leandro, which is obviously detrimental to the atmosphere and Leandro’s performance.
“Leandro remained in the starting lineup against Southampton and Arsenal, but he was on the bench against Everton. In the five substitutions that occurred at that time, he was not one of them, and there is no explanation for this.
“Leandro had already reported calf problems twice in advance of the FA Cup match against Middlesbrough. It was for this reason that he stopped training. This was done in consultation with medical personnel.
“Leandro learned from his physical trainer that he must train separately. On Monday of last week, the trainer removed Leandro from the team and indicated he did not wish to see him again. Four weeks without direct communication between a trainer and his player is incomprehensible.
“The trainer has also indicated multiple times that a transfer is the most practical solution.
“Therefore, it is essential that Brighton cooperate with a potential transfer that would benefit both parties.”
Arsenal agree £27m deal with Brighton for Belgian attacker Leandro Trossard
