Arsenal have plenty of options for the wings and have left fans speculating about Leandro Trossard’s future at the club.
The Gunners have bolstered their attack during this summer transfer window, adding Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke to the squad. They now have a lot of alternatives for basically all three positions up front.
Still, they lack top-end talent. Other than Bukayo Saka — who has been their standout player and still has a lot of room for improvement — no one else is a guaranteed starting level footballer. All of them have their strengths, but also significant weaknesses that limit their impact on the team. That, and the possibly unnecessary amount of players for these positions have led to fans wondering who the club should sell. And Leandro Trossard should not be included in these talks.
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Trossard a perfect back-up for Arsenal
The Belgian played a more important part than he should’ve last season, mainly due to Saka’s injury. His qualities truly shine in a lesser role. Trossard doesn’t have to carry the weight of being a starter and provides what the team lack without their main player.
Trossard has averaged an incredible 0.84 goals and assists per 90 minutes for Arsenal in all competitions as a substitute (nine goals and two assists in 1,184 minutes across 51 games).
When looking at his time as a starter, the average is still respectable, but drops to 0.61 goals and assists per 90. In 5,601 minutes across 73 games in the starting XI for the Gunners, he contributed with 19 goals and 19 assists.
For comparison purposes, that’s actually more than Gabriel Martinelli managed in both circumstances, as a starter (0.49 goals and assists per 90) and as a sub (0.56 goals and assists per 90). And even as a starter, Trossard did a better job for Arsenal overall than Martinelli last season.
In addition, he can come in handy in his preferred left wing, but also as a right winger and even as a centre forward. That type of versatility from someone who is okay with his back-up role (and excels in it) and has already been at the club for more than two years is extremely valuable. You don’t just give it away – unless a huge irresistible offer comes in for him.
Market value
If Arsenal were to ever think about selling one of their wingers, the highest chance of getting a good financial return would certainly not be on the 30-year-old who hasn’t been a full-time starter basically since leaving Brighton and Hove Albion in January 2023.
In case the board are unhappy with the level of their players in that position, they should “take it out” on the footballers they actually signed to be the starters. Not someone who was brought in specifically to provide depth and fresh legs in second halves.
Selling Trossard, who is already adapted to the club, has a lot of experience and is probably fine with being a substitute at this point in this career would be fixing a problem Arsenal don’t really have. They are hoping Madueke will either develop into a top player or make Martinelli feel threatened by the competition and take a step up.
It’s also worth noting there’s a chance that Gyokeres’ mere presence in attack unlocks a lot of things for his teammates. Not only drawing attention from defenders and freeing up space for others, but mainly presenting himself as a goalscoring option that would increase the wingers’ and midfielders’ assist tallies.
But Trossard should stay exactly where he is now: a solid and reliable back-up. At 30 years old, he’s also much less prone to oscillations as any other young winger in the squad.