Arsenal are making a mistake by extending Leandro Trossard's contract

Bill Belichick is regarded as the NFL's greatest head coach of all-time. The eight-time Super Bowl champion oversaw the New England Patriots' 21st-century dynasty by installing a philosophy that oh so many have struggled to copy across the league.

Belichick has his ways. He's a genius who cares little for what people think. No stone is left ever unturned in preparation for next Sunday (or Saturday now he's delved into the realm of College Football), and there's not a situation his team isn't ready for. There's no doubting him as a coach, but his work as a General Manager did come under scrutiny during the latter stages of his Patriots tenure.

He struggled to rebuild the Patriots after Tom Brady's departure in 2019, with underwhelming drafts and the fatal decision to hire Matt Patricia and Joe Judge as offensive coordinators in 2022 contributing to his demise — or mutually agreed exit.

However, Belichick's shrewd and bold roster management also played a key role in the Patriots' seemingly never-ending success. A key staple of his philosophy was letting good/great players leave a year too early rather than a year too late. Such decisions received widespread derision from fans and the media, but Belichick was almost always proven right. Think Lawyer Milloy, Ty Law, Deion Branch, and Randy Moss.

Now, you're probably wondering why you've just sat through four paragraphs of Bill Belichick talk. Fair enough. I'll explain. Over the weekend, we learned that Arsenal are planning to extend the contract of 30-year-old forward Leandro Trossard, and I immediately thought of Belichick and his cut-throat, unpopular roster-building philosophy.

It's the right time to cut ties with Leandro Trossard - not extend his contract

Trossard is one of the best Arsenal signings in their recent history. Had the Gunners gone on to win the Premier League title last season, the Belgian may well have earned a statue outside the Emirates given his proficiency during the run-in.

Signed for £27m from Brighton three winters ago, Trossard recorded ten league assists during his first six months at the club and eventually blossomed into a clutch performer capable of shifting the dynamic of a contest off the bench. While no superstar, the winger is brilliant with both feet and often a pinpoint finisher when a yard of space opens up inside the box — that miss against Aston Villa in April 2024 notwithstanding.

He scored 12 Premier League goals from an expected goals haul of just 7.9 last season and has eight from 7.1 this term. Trossard is efficient in front of goal and has proven to be a tactical Swiss Army knife for Mikel Arteta. He can function across Arsenal's frontline and was responsible for supplying creative mitigation when Martin Odegaard was out injured in the autumn. The experienced forward is a valuable profile to have.

Trossard's handy contributions since joining the club means it's understandable as to why Arsenal are willing to extend his contract, which expires in 2026. However, the club are reportedly ready to commit to the sort of move we all thought they were done with making. Arsenal want to retain Trossard for another four years, meaning he'll be 35 by the time his reported new contract expires.

While Arteta's project has shifted away from signing young with the view of building into more of a win-now mode, which means more lucrative contracts for ready-made talent, Trossard, for all he's offered, isn't a player who should be in N5 come the end of the decade. I'm not saying he's going to fall off a cliff or break the club's wage structure by penning an extension, but we know what we've got in Trossard.

The Belgian's a canny operator, but one who's far from irreplaceable. Instead of handing him a long-term deal, Arsenal, who rejected advances from Saudi Arabia last summer off the back of his impressive end to 2023/24, should be welcoming approaches for the 30-year-old. If they want to retain him, offer him a short-term deal and think of upgrading Gabriel Martinelli. There's a left-winger market to be explored!

It's time for Arteta to channel his inner Bill, even if it upsets Anne Hathaway.

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