The positives & negatives of Arsenal’s move for Leandro Trossard

#1 Negative: A change of course for the project?

Although it seems quite a logical, low-risk move, in some ways the Trossard deal symbolises a deviation from the much-heralded process and appears at odds with our long-term ambitions.

In an Amazon interview last January, Arteta spoke of his commitment to only bring “the best people and best players” to the club and has since shown a consistent aversion to conducting business if it disrupts the process, which led to the lack of striking additions last year and the refusal to meet Shakhtar Donetsk’s extortionate demands for Mudryk.

Meanwhile, Trossard is not as complete as other signings we have acquired, belongs to a different age bracket and appears to rank low among our winger targets. There are also concerns related to his attitude and he was dropped by Roberto de Zerbi at the weekend for behavioural reasons – an issue Arteta has dealt with ruthlessly during his Arsenal tenure.

Fans will rightly care little if the search for an immediate impact leads to immediate success and, on paper, this certainly looks like a good deal. But it is nevertheless out of keeping with the coach’s typically uncompromising, meticulous approach and perhaps epitomises our determination to end the campaign on a high.