Genk’s academy director Roland Breugelmans is delighted to see Leandro Trossard reach the pinnacle of the Premier League after swapping Brighton and Hove Albion for Arsenal, speaking to Gianluca di Marzio.
This is exactly what Mikel Arteta wanted when signing Trossard during the January transfer window. The sort of squad depth and competition for places Arsenal, during the first half of the season, just didn’t have at their disposal.
With Gabriel Martinelli struggling to rediscover his best form after the Qatar World Cup, Arteta suddenly had the luxury of being able to bring a £27 million Belgium international off the bench during Saturday’s clash with London rivals Brentford.
Just four minutes later after coming on, Trossard popped up at the far post and opened the scoring; his first goal for the Gunners.
Arsenal sign Leandro Trossard from Brighton and Hove Albion
While Ivan Toney would offset the Belgian’s well-taken finish with a late and controversial equaliser, there remains a very decent chance that Trossard will end the season with a Premier League winners’ medal hanging around his neck.
And this would be a source of pride for a Genk side who handed the academy graduate his first-team debut over a decade ago.
“Every player knows that, if he does well at Genk, he will be able to go to some top club,” explains Breugelmans; the Jupiler League giants having sold Sander Berge, Wilfried Ndidi, Paul Onuachu, Thibaut Courtois and Christian Benteke to Premier League clubs.
“We loaned Trossard to four clubs in the Belgian second division when he was 19. Then, he came back in 2016, and started (for us). He is now at Arsenal. For us, this is fantastic.”
Trossard is one of a number of players in Mikel Arteta’s squad who knows what it takes in the heat of a fierce title fight. He captained Genk to Jupiler League glory in 2019 before joining Brighton for what would later prove to be a bargain £15 million fee.
“This is what we see every single day in training,” Arteta said after Trossard’s goal against Brentford.
“I think the contribution he’s had in the game, with the minutes that he has played, has been really good. It’s great to have a player thatm when you put him into the game, you have a feeling that something is going to happen. He brings a lot of courage when the game is like this, to take the ball and go for it.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
