Arsenal make Leandro Trossard decision as transfer claim emerges ahead of January
Arsenal were unfortunate to only come away with a point from the Etihad Stadium after drawing 2-2 with Manchester City.
Mikel Arteta’s side played with ten men for the entirety of the second half after Leandro Trossard was sent off before half-time. He received a second yellow card after kicking the ball away.
Speaking after that decision, Arteta said: “I was amazed. Amazed, amazed, amazed because of how inconsistent decisions can be. In the first half, there are two incidents and nothing happens. Then, in a non-critical area, the ball hits Declan [on the back of his leg], he turns around, he doesn’t see the player coming and he touches the ball.
“By law, he can make that call, but then by law he needs to make the next call, which is a red card so we play 10vs10. This is what amazed me. At this level it’s amazing.”
Arsenal succumbed to City’s threats in the dying seconds, with John Stones scoring from close range. Arsenal are fourth in the table, while City remain two points clear at the summit.
Contract decision
According to Belgian outlet Nieuwsblad, Arsenal are intend to offer Trossard a new contract. The 29-year-old is under contract until 2026 after joining Arsenal from Brighton last year.
The report adds the Gunners are keen to keep hold of him after turning down a €25m bid from Al-Ittihad in the summer. It’s thought the Saudi Arabia side offered him €15m per year deal, which is significantly more than what he currently earns in north London.
football.london says: Despite struggling to tie down a regular spot in Arteta’s team and often playing as second fiddle to Gabriel Martinelli, Trossard has done a solid job when called upon. He was unfortunate to be sent off during Sunday’s clash with City, but the Belgian will continue to be an important player for Arteta moving forward. especially when the burden needs to be taken off Martinelli throughout the season. Last term, he registered a scoring rate off the bench higher than any player to score 10 or more goals for the club.
