Arsenal have their answer on the left flank. Leandro Trossard is heading to Besiktas in a club-to-club agreement worth around €20million, and that sale is the green light the Gunners needed to chase a superstar winger this summer.
The structure is straightforward: €18m up front plus €2m in add-ons. Wages sit near €9m and personal terms are still being finalised, so the paperwork is not done yet. Even so, the direction is clear. Trossard leaves, and Arsenal stop pretending the wide positions can stay frozen after a title-winning season.
Why the sale matters now
Sporting director Andrea Berta and head coach Mikel Arteta were never going to rebuild around sentiment. The club waited more than two decades for a Premier League crown. Keeping every familiar face was never part of the plan.
Trossard helped that push. He also sat in the crosshairs once Arsenal decided they wanted a left-sided attacker with genuine star power. The same lens turned toward Gabriel Martinelli. One departure was enough to unlock the next move.
Who replaces Trossard?
Two names dominate the conversation: Morgan Rogers and Bradley Barcola.
Rogers is the priority. Aston Villa have slapped a £130m price tag on him, which is less a valuation than a warning shot. Arsenal have not flinched. Talks with the player and his camp have moved forward, and Villa know interest is not limited to north London. Chelsea are in the picture too, which only sharpens the race.
Barcola remains on the radar, but he sits behind Rogers in the pecking order. Arsenal like the profile. They like the ceiling. They just like Rogers more.
The wider rebuild picture
The winger hunt does not sit in isolation. Arsenal want a big name in central midfield and have already tabled a verbal £55m bid for Bruno Guimaraes. They also tried for Alex Scott and got a firm no from Bournemouth.
That rejection did not slow the broader strategy. Sell where the squad is crowded. Spend where the squad needs a jump in quality. Trossard’s exit fits the first half of that equation. Rogers or Barcola would fit the second.
What happens next
Besiktas still need to finish Trossard’s personal terms. Arsenal need to decide how hard they push for Rogers at Villa’s number, and whether Barcola becomes a serious fallback or a distant second choice.
One thing is already settled: the old left-wing setup is being dismantled on purpose. Berta and Arteta are making the ruthless calls a title-winning club was always going to make. Trossard goes out the door. A superstar winger is next through it.
