Top Arsenal player agrees to join big European team, and two new players lined up as replacements
Arsenal are reportedly set to sell Leandro Trossard to Turkish club Besiktas, with manager Mikel Arteta already looking at who could replace him. Trossard played an important role in Arsenal’s Premier League-winning season last year, including a key goal at West Ham.
The 31-year-old, under contract until 2027, joined Arsenal from Brighton in 2023. Since then, he has scored 36 goals and made 34 assists in 174 games for the team. Even though he’s been important for Arteta, many reports say Trossard will be leaving this summer. Journalist Ben Jacobs shared that Arsenal have agreed in principle to sell him for about €18 million (£15.4 million), plus another €2 million (£1.7 million) in bonuses.
On social media, Jacobs mentioned that while Trossard still needs to finalize the details, Besiktas are confident the deal will go through. He added that another club, Al-Diriyah, never made a formal offer. Meanwhile, Trossard is in Seattle, focused on finishing the World Cup with Belgium.
According to The Athletic, the transfer isn’t finished yet, as talks are ongoing about wages, possibly around €9 million. Trossard is currently preparing with Belgium for their round-of-16 World Cup match against the USA on July 7.
Although the deal is expected to be completed soon, Arsenal are already eyeing two players to replace Trossard as they aim to keep their Premier League title next season. They’ve been linked with Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain and Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa.
Villa reportedly value Rogers at about £130 million, while PSG value Barcola around £116 million. Barcola has also been linked with Liverpool, Arsenal’s Premier League rival, especially since Liverpool is no longer pursuing RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande, who wants to join PSG.
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano recently said that Liverpool are the main team interested in Barcola. He said, “Liverpool have Barcola at the top of their list and have been for months.” However, Romano also noted that Arsenal’s first choice remains Morgan Rogers. “If Arsenal can agree with Aston Villa, they will sign Morgan Rogers. If not, Barcola is an option,” he explained. “Right now, Rogers seems the most likely to become Arteta’s new winger.”
The transfer window closes on September 3.