Newcastle United could beat Arsenal to the signature of Brighton hotshot Leandro Trossard.
The Belgian is having a superb season with the Seagulls and his form has attracted Mikel Arteta’s attention.
The Gunners are not the only club interested in a move for him as they continue to search for reinforcements.
Chelsea, now managed by his former boss Graham Potter, is also interested in him.
However, the team that poses the highest threat to Arsenal signing him is Newcastle United, who is ready to move for him immediately.
The Northern Echo reports the Magpies are prepared to follow up on their interest in his signature by securing a move for him in the January transfer window.
The report claims they could meet Brighton’s £30 million valuation of the attacker, whose current deal expires in the summer of 2024.
Just Arsenal Opinion
Trossard is having a fantastic season. Typically, several clubs will want to add him to their squad.
If we are serious about beating them to his signature, we must also make plans to land him in the winter transfer window.
The attacker will be hot property in the summer and signing him in January could be the smartest thing to do.
Boy wish we sign him. His composure with the ball not to mention his confidence is just amazing to witness
He is a wonderful player i will be happy if arsenal can get him
I am in support of the move which Arteta wants to take.
Leandro Trossard is a good player, but he is not what Arsenal need. Could he do a job for the Gunners? Sure. Would he succeed as an understudy to the younger, more dynamic Martinelli? That is less sure.
At 27, he is just emerging as a star now, in his late twenties. If Arsenal are going to buy a 27-year-old, the player should be someone like Sergei Milsovic-Savic, from Lazio. Savic has been a star for a decade, and he scores and provides assists from midfield, a position of need for Arsenal.
By contrast, Trossard is a left winger, a position where Arsenal have quality in depth, with Gabriel Martinelli and Emil Smith Rowe. Trossard, as a target, is like Wilfried Zaha in that he has done really well at a smaller club and at Brighton, like Zaha at Crystal Palace, he can play through tough dry spells. At Arsenal, both players would need to perform at a high level in limited appearances; something that is far from assured.
If Arsenal are going to sign anyone in January, midfield or striker seems the most like positions. At striker, Gabriel Jesus has been outstanding, but Eddie Nketiah is finding it tough to produce in limited minutes. Jonathan David, who is lighting it up at Lille, or Ican Toney, who is emerging as a real star at Brentford would both be more typical Arsenal signings under Mikel Arteta than Trossard.
In the holding midfield role, Douglas Luiz looked likely, but he signed a long-term deal at Villa. Two possibilities are West Ham’s Declan Rice and former Arsenal youth player, Ismael Bennacer. If Arsenal can maintain their position at the top or near the top of the league through Boxing Day, the Gunners would be an attractive proposition for the wanted by everyone Rice. Arsenal have a good, young core and seem willing to pay to keep it together.
Tomiyasu (White), Saliba (White), Gabriel (Holding), Zinchenko (Tierney)
Rice (Partey, Elneny), Savic (Xhaka. Lokonga)
Saka (Marquinos, Reiss-Nelson), Odegaard (Viera), Martinelli (Smith-Rowe)
Jesus (Toney, Nketiah)
This is a team that could compete for titles for the next five years.