Arsenal in advanced talks to sign Trossard upgrade

When you think of the best signings that Mikel Arteta has made during his time as manager of Arsenal you think of players like Declan Rice, David Raya and Jurrien Timber.

However, the £27m addition of Leandro Trossard must also be celebrated. While the Belgian has not always been the first name on the teamsheet, his efforts for the Gunners have been second to very few.

He has been Mr Clutch since moving to the Emirates, scoring big goals in big games and very rarely missing a match through injury.

Once all is said and done, he will be remembered fondly as part of the team who won the Premier League and he certainly deserves to be.

Yet, there is a feeling that his time in red and white is now coming to an end.

Arsenal close in on signing Trossard replacement

One of the biggest priorities for Arsenal this summer is to sign a new winger. The Gunners have been lacking real elite quality in that position for a while now and they are seeking to address that.

PSG’s Bradley Barcola continues to be linked with a move to north London while their number one target would appear to be Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers.

Club-to-club talks are reportedly underway but whether they will be able to convince the Villans to sell is another matter. They have priced the attacker at £80m and are under no pressure to sell. Rogers would like to join but he is not pressing to leave after they secured Champions League football for 2025/26.

As a result, Arsenal do need to ensure they have other irons in the fire and they have made their move to ensure they do at least get one body in.

Christos Tzolis is the name they are pursuing but whether or not they get that deal done, it is not going to impact their pursuit of Rogers. They are two different situations.

As they continue talks with the England international, they are now reportedly getting closer to pulling the trigger on a move for Tzolis.

That’s according to Greek journalist Dimitris Manakos who reveals that ‘talks are advancing’ over a move and that Arsenal could ‘immediately’ complete a deal.

The Club Brugge winger ‘wants’ to join the club and a move could now be wrapped up quickly.

How Tzolis compares to Trossard

While Trossard has been exceptional for large periods of his Arsenal career, at the age of 31, he is now approaching the latter stages of his career.

That is not particularly old for a footballer but there were signs, particularly in the back end of 2025/26, that the Belgian was now past his best.

The forward scored a vital winner away at West Ham but his form prior to scoring that precious strike was arguably the worst of his entire career, certainly the worst of his time at Arsenal.

Trossard went 25 straight games without finding the net during a really dry spell. It was a huge concern, even if he did come alive when it mattered most to help Arsenal over the line.

Well, in Tzolis, they could actually sign a pretty similar player. Like Trossard, the Greek has cut his teeth in the Belgium Pro League and has made an almighty impact for Club Brugge.

Arsenal saw firsthand what he could do when they faced the Belgian side in the Champions League and while the 24-year-old did not score or assist, that was actually a rare match where he did not contribute.

In 2025/26, the Greece international scored 22 goals and supplied 29 assists in all competitions. To put that figure into context, Trossard has never hit those heights during his celebrated career.

The highest number of goals the attacker has managed in a single season is 17 which came back in 2023/24, his first full year at Arsenal.

Sure, he has been playing at a higher level in recent years than Tzolis but all signs point towards Arsenal acquiring an excellent wide player here.

The numbers above must be taken with a pinch of salt considering the standard of football the pair were playing at but the raw data is overwhelmingly in favour of Tzolis.

His performance levels have been remarkably good, not just carving out regular goals and assists but also proving to be devastating in 1v1 situations when dribbling. In that regard, he is very much like Trossard and perhaps even better.

Their close touch control is incredible and they really thrive when faced with a full-back.

At the age of 24, the Greek is certainly not the full package just yet. There are plenty of areas to refine but now does feel like precisely the right time to replace Trossard with a hungry and younger alternative.

If Arsenal can get their hands on him and Rogers, they will have done very well in the market.