Arsenal have been negotiating the transfer of Mykhailo Mudryk from Shakhtar for the past year, but Chelsea snapped him up at the last minute. However, for this case, the Gunners had another option in store, namely the transfer of Leandro Trossard. The 28-year-old Belgian has officially moved to the London club for a mere €24m, very little in the current Premier League, and even as part of an intra-league transfer. We analyze the benefits of the transfer.
Versatility
Mikel Arteta leads Arsenal in the Premier League, but at one point he may not have enough resources for the title race, and this is due to an abundance of injuries, especially in attack.
Leandro Trossard is the perfect player for Arsenal at the moment. He won’t claim a roster spot, but he’ll be willing to fill in for almost any attacking player. The Belgian only this season for Brighton managed to play in several roles:
– 6 games as center forward;
– 4 appearances as a left midfielder;
– 3 times as attacking central midfielder;
– 3 times in the position of the left back;
– 2 appearances as a left attacking midfielder.
Crazy versatility, which allows Arteta to vary the composition and schemes.
Photo source: Brighton FC
Efficiency
Everything is clear about his versatility, but won’t he be any “plug” in Arsenal? No, definitely not. In 2019 he was in Brighton and here is his performance:
2019/20: 5+4 in 31 games.
2020/21: 5+5 in 35 games.
2021/22: 8+3 in 34 games.
2022/23: 7+2 in 16 games (after 19 days played).
It is clear that this is far from the statistics of the top forwards, but Trossard does not position himself as such. Perhaps more important to highlight his performance against the best teams in the Premier League, in which he is unstoppable:
2019/20: Liverpool goal.
2020/21: Scored a goal against Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea, provided an assist against Liverpool.
2021/22: 1+2 against Manchester United, scored against Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool each.
2022/23: City and Chelsea each scored, scored a hat-trick against Liverpool.
Photo source: IMAGO
Adaptation
Mudrik is a “pig in a poke”, which is not known to take root in England, and Trossard is a finished and well-studied product. The Belgian adapts easily to Arsenal, not only because of his preparation for the league, but also because of Arteta’s assistant, Albert Steivenberg.
The Dutch coach worked with Trossard when the player was still representing Genk, and Arteta did not hide that during the negotiations he contacted and consulted with Steivenberg.
Photo source: Arsenal FC (London)
Go out
Arsenal made a classy transfer on the cheap by holding off buying a more expensive player until the summer. Trossard is far from Mudrik, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia or Diaby, who could also move but could play a huge role in Arsenal’s eventual title.
Surely, in the summer transfer window, Arsenal will want to strengthen itself with more classy players for the Champions League, but for now Trossard is emerging as the most comfortable option, with commitment and ready to close the season. A very smart move.
