(Football news) Arsenal and Brighton have reached an agreement for a £27m deal for forward Leandro Trossard. The deal is worth £20 million with £7 million in add-ons. The 28 year old is now expected to undergo a medical with the Gunners and finalise personal terms before signing a four and a half year contract, with the option to extend a further year. Mikel Arteta will hope that Trossard is registered before midday on Friday in order to be eligible to play against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League.

Arsenal recently missed out on former Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhailo Mudryk, who signed for Chelsea for £85m. Trossard only had six months remaining on his Brighton contract but the Seagulls had the option to extend his contract by a further year. Tottenham Hotspur were also linked to the Belgian forward but they have now decided to pursue Roma’s Nicolo Zaniolo. Trossard had made it publicly known that he wanted to leave Brighton despite the club’s reluctance to sell if their valuation for the player was not met but it’s fair to say that the deal is a good one for both parties.

Trossard’s departure from Brighton has been a controversial one with manager Roberto De Zerbi confirming that the player will not be in the team’s squad for their visit to Liverpool last week after displaying a poor attitude in training. The 28 year old hasn’t featured for Brighton since the team lost 4-2 against Arsenal on New Years eve. He is undoubtedly a good signing for Arsenal due to his experience, especially in the Premier League, having made 116 appearances across four seasons. He will provide Arteta another option instead of the manager being overly reliant on Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli as the Gunners hope to maintain their title challenge.

“Before Leandro left for Qatar, it was Brighton’s intention to extend his contract, this did not happen as parties did not reach an agreement. Leandro has also indicated he is ready for his next step. After the World Cup there was an altercation at training between Leandro and another player over an inanity.

“Since then, the trainer has not spoken to Leandro, which is obviously not conducive to the atmosphere, as well as performance-wise. Leandro still was a first-eleven player against Southampton and Arsenal but against Everton he was on the bench. In the five substitutions that took place then, he was also not among them and this is without any explanation.

“In the run-up to the match against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup, Leandro had already reported calf problems twice. This was the reason he stopped training. This was in consultation with the medical staff. Through the physical trainer, Leandro learned that he had to train separately. Last Monday the trainer then grounded Leandro in the group and indicated that he did not want to see him anymore.

“A trainer who has not communicated directly with his player for four weeks is truly incomprehensible. It is also the trainer who has indicated several times that a transfer is the most reasonable solution. It is therefore important that Brighton cooperates with a potential transfer, which is beneficial for both parties.” – Leandro Trossard’s agent Josy Comhair

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