Arsenal transfer news
Leandro Trossard transfer news: Besiktas close in on €20m deal for Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard
Leandro Trossard transfer news: Arsenal have agreed a fee to sell Leandro Trossard to Turkish side Besiktas. The north London club have shook hands on a structured deal worth a total of €20 million for the 31-year-old Belgian international.
The Athletic reports that the Super Lig outfit will pay a guaranteed €18m upfront fee. Another €2m is tucked away in performance-related add-ons. While the two clubs are completely aligned, the transfer hasn’t crossed the finish line just yet. Personal terms are still a work in progress. Besiktas are dangling a massive salary package worth around €9m per year, but the final details are still being hammered out by the player’s representatives.
Timing complicates things here. Right now, Trossard is away in North America, representing Belgium at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Don’t expect any official announcements or contract signatures until his international duties are completely wrapped up. He is a key man for his country at the tournament, starting all four of Belgium’s matches so far. He bagged two goals in a 5-1 routing of New Zealand during the group stage and set up another goal in their dramatic last-16 knockout victory against the United States.
Cold calculations at the Emirates
Selling Trossard makes plenty of business sense for Arsenal, even if it feels a bit ruthless. The Belgian signed a contract extension back in August 2025 that came with a healthy pay rise, but that deal ticks down in June 2027. That leaves him with just twelve months on his contract by the end of this summer. Rather than watching a valuable asset walk out the door for absolutely nothing next year, Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta and manager Mikel Arteta have chosen to cash in now. It is the type of unsentimental squad-planning that has defined the club’s recent transfer windows.
His output last season was undeniably good. Trossard made 31 Premier League appearances, chipping in with 6 goals and 6 assists. Those 12 goal involvements put him joint-second in Arsenal’s attacking charts, trailing only summer signing Viktor Gyökeres. Opta data also highlights that he matched Martin Ødegaard as the club’s top assist provider. His underlying numbers were just as sharp, with FootyStats recording a non-penalty expected goals figure of 0.33 per 90 minutes, placing him in the top 88th percentile of top-flight forwards.
But football moves fast. Arsenal have already secured the signature of Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace last season. With the club actively scouting another high-profile wide attacker, the hierarchy clearly feels Trossard has given his absolute best years to the project.
Istanbul offers the winger a completely fresh start and a guaranteed spot in the starting eleven. He rarely enjoyed nailed-down starter status under Arteta, frequently used as a luxury utility man off the bench. Besiktas boss Vincenzo Italiano is heavily driving the move, enamoured by the forward’s tactical flexibility. Trossard can lead the line as a false nine, hug the left touchline, or operate as a creative midfielder.
Besiktas are keeping their options open, keeping tabs on Sassuolo winger Armand Lauriente as a backup plan if things stall, but Trossard remains the absolute priority.
Read: £100m Arsenal target is unhappy – and that will force his club to sell
The move will end a highly successful three-and-a-half-year stint in London. He was sensational the year before last, racking up 8 goals and 7 assists in 38 league games. It represents brilliant value for a player bought for a modest £21m from Brighton in January 2023.
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