Birmingham City boss John Eustace has confirmed he wants to buy Arsenal ace Auston Trusty in a permanent transfer. The defender has spent this season on loan at St Andrew’s.
Arsenal made Trusty their only signing of the January 2022 transfer window when the club agreed on terms with Colorado Rapids. But the 24-year-old is yet to play a single second at Emirates Stadium. He remained with the MLS franchise until he joined Birmingham in July.
Trusty enjoyed two years with Colorado Rapids, who are part of the same Kroenke Sports & Entertainment group which owns Arsenal. He appeared 61 times for the Dick’s Sporting Goods Park outfit, as well. The centre-half has already featured 33 times with Birmingham.
Arsenal are benefitting greatly from Eustace giving Trusty his backing whilst on loan with Birmingham. The former United States youth international has started all 29 of the Blues’ Championship fixtures so far this campaign. He has also scored four and assisted one goal.
Trusty has even played all 2,610 minutes on offer in the second-tier so far this season with Birmingham. The Arsenal loanee even played every minute on offer in the Blues’ Carabao Cup and FA Cup campaigns. He featured for 300 minutes over three fixtures in the FA Cup.
Eustace confirms he wants Birmingham to sign Trusty permanently from Arsenal
Now, Eustace has gone on record with his desire for Birmingham to agree on a permanent transfer with Arsenal for loan star Trusty. The Pennsylvania native will go to north London for the first time come the summer. But Eustace believes the Blues would love him to stay.
“He is a terrific player,” Eustace said, via quotes by Sky Sports. “With Auston, we have to remember he has come off the back of a full MLS season. So, he’s touching nearly 50-60 games in a row now. It’s about getting that consistency.
“Would I have liked to have rested Auston throughout the season? One hundred per cent. But, unfortunately, we haven’t been able to do that. So his performances have also dipped throughout the season because of a lack of help, support I would like to have given him.
“But he is coming back now, he is coming back strong, his last couple of performances have been excellent. I would love him at the football club going forward.
“I think everyone connected to Birmingham City would love him to be part of the football club. But we also respect he is an Arsenal player, a very good player. But it’s something we can, hopefully, push at the end of the season.”
Arsenal confirmed when announcing Trusty’s transfer from Colorado Rapids that the team intended to loan him out for this term. The Gunners stated the club’s desire to loan him in Europe in 2022/23 to ‘further progress his development’. So, they will likely take him back.
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