Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad recently attempted to prise Leandro Trossard away from Arsenal.
The summer transfer window is still open in Saudi Arabia, meaning that clubs in that region can still seek to sign players such as Arsenal star Leandro Trossard from the Premier League.
Arsenal received a £30 million offer for Trossard on Monday from the Saudi Arabian outfit. However, David Ornstein revealed that the bid was rejected swiftly by the North London club.
It remains to be seen if Al-Ittihad will attempt to return to the negotiation table in an effort to strike a deal for the Belgian forward, or if they will give up on securing his services entirely. The Gunners will also be wary of efforts to swoop for any of their other players.
Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu Gaspar are clearly in no mind to entertain the notion of Trossard’s departure.
However, if the former Brighton man himself were to push for an exit then Arsenal may struggle to keep him.
Does Leandro Trossard want to leave Arsenal?
Trossard has been unhappy at Arsenal in the past, due to his lack of game time. However, he does now appear to have forced his way into the starting line up, having been given the nod against Brighton last time out.
Despite this, there is a concern that the 29-year-old could still have his head turned.
According to journalist James McNicholas, speaking on the Arsecast Extra podcast, the interest from Al-Ittihad in Trossard was: “Real, it’s very much real.”
The reporter then added: “I don’t think it’s something that he’s [Trossard] entirely opposed to.”
McNicholas then clarified: “Arsenal’s position is that he’s not for sale.”
What Mikel Arteta must give Trossard
This will concern many Arsenal fans, who appreciate Trossard’s importance to the club. He has been in fine form recently, offers versatility and experience, and is something of a super sub.
On top of that, Trossard is Arsenal’s best finisher, and the Gunners will need his clinical edge in front of goal in key moments this season.
Arteta and Trossard have clashed before, and the attacker may be concerned that Raheem Sterling’s recent arrival at the Emirates Stadium threatens to push him down the pecking order again.
In truth though, the way for Arteta to keep Trossard at the club and happy is to treat him fairly. There have been times that the Spanish coach’s eagerness to afford Gabriel Martinelli the opportunity to play his way back into form has come at the cost of rewarding Trossard for his impressive displays with more game time. This needs to stop if the Belgian is to be convinced that he is fully valued at Arsenal.
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