With Arsenal said to be in advanced talks to sign Leandro Trossard from Brighton in the January window, I remembered a piece we had from a few years ago when his agent explained why he picked Brighton over the Gunners in 2019.

June 30 2019

Arsenal have been linked on and off with Leandro Trossard for some time, so it’s no surprise to see him make a move, but why did he opt for Brighton over Arsenal?

Genk's Leandro Trossard celebrates after scoring during a soccer match between KAA Gent and KRC Genk, Saturday 27 April 2019 in Gent, on day 6 (out of 10) of the Play-off 1 of the 'Jupiler Pro League' Belgian soccer championship. BELGA PHOTO YORICK JANSENS
Genk’s Leandro Trossard celebrates after scoring during a soccer match between KAA Gent and KRC Genk, Saturday 27 April 2019 in Gent, on day 6 (out of 10) of the Play-off 1 of the ‘Jupiler Pro League’ Belgian soccer championship. BELGA PHOTO YORICK JANSENS

Speaking in May 2019, Trossard’s agent admitted that his client could move to Arsenal or Germany and it was then reported that he’d found an agreement with Borussia Monchengladbach a few weeks later.

Now, however, he’s a Brighton player.

So, if he could have gone to Arsenal, why did he going to Brighton?

It seems like it’s a stepping stone.

His agent explained, “Because he has not skipped a single step in his career. He could go to Atlético or Arsenal today, beautiful clubs, but that is too early,” Josy Comhair explained.

“To take the next step, he must now go to Brighton. If he shows his Genk performance at Brighton, then the big clubs will come and get him next summer.”

Trossard agreed a four-year deal with Brighton and the fee was believed to be around €20m.

The left-winger scored 11 and assisted four in 24 Jupiler Pro games last season with 22 goals and 11 assists in 47 games across all competitions.

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