The 28-year-old signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with an option for another year. “We’re delighted to have him,” Arteta said in his pre-match press conference ahead of United’s match.
The Gunners are delighted to have Trossard
Arsenal have completed the £27m signing of Brighton striker Leandro Trossard. The Gunners are paying an initial £20m upfront with an additional £7m. Arsenal and Mikel Arteta believe they filed their registration paperwork in time to make Trossard eligible to face Manchester United on Sunday. The 28-year-old signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with an option for another year. “We’re delighted to have him,” Arteta said in his pre-match press conference ahead of United’s game. He’s a player we’ve been following for a while. The opportunity has arisen, and we need to have a player on the front line who is versatile enough to play in different positions. He knows the league, he has experience here, and he can make an immediate impact on the team.”
According to Leandro, Arteta is a top coach
“We have to think about the short term as well as the medium and long term. He gives us all of that. When you look at his career and what he’s done over the past few years, he’s a player that fits our way of playing exactly.” Trossard will reunite with his former manager at Genk and Arteta assistant Albert Stuivenberg in north London with Arteta revealing that his No. 2 has “given me a good reference, not just now, but for a good few years.”
Meanwhile, speaking of Arsenal’s coaching team, Trossard told the club’s website: “They told me that I’m excellent as a player, that I’m very good at setting up the system and how they want to play. It helps me that I’m versatile and that I can play in different positions. They look forward to working with me and vice versa. I am thrilled to work with them, and I think Mikel Arteta is a top coach.”
The Belgian is comfortable in any position on the pitch
“I like to be in the pocket behind the striker. On the wings, I can also explore myself. I’m comfortable in any of these positions, but if I choose, it’s behind the striker – but it all depends on the system. It was my best season in the Premier League so far. We did a great job at Brighton, and my form was perfect. Obviously, I haven’t played much since the World Cup since my situation at Brighton, but I’m so excited to start at Arsenal and prove myself in the top club to help the team.” Arsenal moved for the Belgium international after passing for Mykhailo Mudryk, who joined Chelsea on January 15 from Shakhtar Donetsk.
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi: “The situation was difficult because I understood that he wanted to leave. I’m sorry for the last period because I preferred to play players who were understanding and had no other behaviour. We’ll see whether we replace him. We are a good team anyway, and we can play well with Leo or without Leo. You can always improve and bring in new players in the transfer window. But we are a good XI now; the squad players are outstanding. It’s not easy to improve. We will do something if there is an opportunity for Tony Bloom and the club to improve the squad.”