Unai Emery’s Arsenal were in talks with ex-Genk captain Trossard before he joined Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion instead.
Leandro Trossard has admitted to Nieuwsblad that he held talks with Arsenal before joining Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion instead over the summer.
The Seagulls paid £18 million to sign the Belgian winger in May and, unlike Alireza Jahanbahksh, Jurgen Locadia and co, he looks worth every penny so far even if injuries have restricted him to just four starts so far for Graham Potter’s side.
Trossard scored a brilliant goal against West Ham, changed the game off the bench against Everton and inspired Brighton to their 2-0 triumph over Norwich City recently.
And given how badly Arsenal have struggled for creativity of late, Trossard is already looking like one that got away for Unai Emery’s misfiring Gunners.
“I was in conversations with Arsenal. (But) a move to Arsenal or Atlético Madrid might not have been the right one,” said the former Genk captain, who produced a remarkable 22 goals and 11 assists in his final season in Belgium.
“The trainer, Graham Potter, had come to the Belgium team hotel in Tubize three weeks before my wedding to come and talk to me. That he came for that made me feel good.
“Brighton were nervous and pushed to (complete the) deal quickly. And Brighton is not the worst place to live.”
Arsenal have scored just twice from open play in their last eight games in all competitions and, even with the maverick Mesut Ozil back in the XI, drew another blank during Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Leicester.
Trossard, however, already looks like one of the signings of the season with his rapid pace and ability to make something out of nothing giving Brighton the sort of cutting edge they were so clearly lacking during much of the Chris Hughton era.
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