Arsenal 'blocked' transfer of £21m target despite interest from 'several' clubs

Mikel Arteta is said to have blocked the departure of winger Leandro Trossard in the summer transfer window, despite the Belgian star competing with Brazil’s Gabriel Martinelli for a place in the starting XI.

Reports from Het Nieuwsblad argue that the 29-year-old should be earning more game time at Arsenal and claim that, despite his inconsistent spot in the starting line-up, the Gunners refused to sell him. The Dutch news outlet points out that the Belgium international is more ‘decisive’ than his South American counterpart with Trossard involved in either a goal or an assist every 111 minutes compared to Martinelli’s one every 169 minutes.

The 29-year-old did, however, receive a red card in the Gunners’ recent 2-2 draw with Manchester City. After being booked for a foul on Savinho, Trossard was then shown a second yellow for kicking the ball away, leaving his head coach furious.

Much like Declan Rice’s incident against Brighton, which saw the Seagulls forward Joao Pedro unpunished for committing a similar offence, Jeremy Doku was also undisciplined for perpetrating the same foul.

Speaking after the clash, the Gunners boss said of the incident: “It’s already the second time it has happened in five games, which is really, really worrying if we want to see the best Premier League.”

It is claimed that several clubs have come knocking on the Emirates door, asking as to the Belgian’s availability, but Arteta is claimed to be a ‘real fan’ of the player and ‘blocked’ a potential transfer.

One such club was Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad, who submitted a last minute bid for the forward on their transfer deadline day. The club, who have already welcomed the likes of N’Golo Kante, Karim Benzema and Fabinho, were reportedly looking to sign him on an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy set at £21m.

They were also said to have offered the Belgian an annual salary of £12.5m, three times more than his current salary which Sportrac report to be £4.7m, but Trossard opted to stay put.

Further claims from Het Nieuwsblad have indicated that the ex-Brighton star is ‘hungry’ in both a financial and football sense. Trossard’s current Emirates deal runs out in 2026 and while Arsenal are yet to start negotiations for a potential renewal, the Dutch outlet indicates that the Gunners do intend to make an offer to the player, who has scored 19 times since joining the club from Brighton back in January 2023.