Arsenal have [confirmed](https://www.arsenal.com/news/terms-agreed-besiktas-trossard-transfer) the imminent sale of Leandro Trossard to Besiktas in a permanent deal reported to be worth up to £17.1 million.
The Belgium international heads to Turkey after playing a significant role in the Gunners’ resurgence at home and in Europe over the past three and a half years, departing as a Premier League title winner.
Signed from Brighton after Arsenal’s move for Mykhailo Mudryk collapsed, Trossard arrived as the ready-made addition to Mikel Arteta’s attack.
In his first interview with the club, he explained: “I think I’m good in 1v1s. I’m composed in the box, so if I get chances, I can finish them off. I can hopefully help the team to win tough games – I’m great in tight spaces.”
He lived up to that billing almost immediately, registering eight assists in his first 15 Premier League appearances, even if Arsenal ultimately fell short in the first of four successive title races.
His performances could occasionally frustrate, with games sometimes passing him by, but the numbers tell the story of a remarkably consistent player. He was involved in 20 goals in both the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns and finished just one short of that mark last season.
There was a reason Arsenal supporters so often broke into “Trossard again, olé, olé.” His knack for popping up in the right place at the right time wasn’t just valuable; it often felt inevitable.
The highlights were plentiful: a brilliant solo goal to finish off Liverpool at the Emirates, the slide-rule finish that wiped out Porto’s first-leg advantage in the Champions League, his tap-in at Old Trafford, a late winner against Leicester and goals in north London derbies.
Ask Arsenal fans for their favourite, though, and many will point to his decisive intervention at West Ham in May. That deflected finish secured a 1-0 victory that proved pivotal in the run-in and ultimately helped deliver the Premier League title.
For that strike alone, he’ll always be welcome back in N5 with open arms.
Having impressed for Belgium at the World Cup, Trossard leaves with his stock high and no shortage of admirers. It’ll be interesting to see how he fares in Turkey, where he’s arrived for a medical this afternoon, and whether he can help Besiktas challenge at the top end of the Super Lig.
Replacing Trossard will not be easy. As things stand, it looks like Club Brugge’s Greece international Christos Tzolis is one option, while Morgan Rogers is also being touted as an addition.